Ireland lock James Ryan has welcomed the intense battle for places within the national squad as “a great thing” that pushes players to elevate their performance, according to reporting by BBC Sport.
The 30-year-old forward was named among the replacements for last week’s 42-12 victory over Argentina, playing 24 minutes off the bench, but has been recalled to the starting XV for Saturday’s Nations Championship fixture in Dublin against Fiji. Head coach Andy Farrell made seven changes to the team for the weekend clash at the Aviva Stadium, where Ryan will partner stand-in captain Tadhg Beirne in the second row.
Reflecting on his brief stint among the substitutes, the Leinster forward said that fulfilling different team roles is part of the broader squad effort.
“It’s important to make the most of every opportunity you get to represent Ireland,” Ryan said.
“That [bench] was just my role last week and everyone has a part to play. There’s huge competition now right across the board. For me, I look at it as a great thing as proper players love competition. It forces you to improve your game and find new levels,” Ryan said.
Despite an impending blockbuster clash against world champions South Africa scheduled for 21 November in Dublin, Ryan emphasized that the team is paying no attention to the upcoming fixture. The looming match against the Springboks carries added weight following a 24-13 defeat at the Aviva Stadium last year, a fixture in which Ireland’s scrum struggled and Ryan received a 20-minute red card during a game that saw five Irish players carded.
However, speaking to RTÉ Sport, Ryan maintained that all preparations are directed exclusively toward the weekend encounter.
“We’re not thinking about South Africa,” Ryan said, according to RTÉ Sport. “I know that’s the boring answer, but it is the answer. Everything’s on Fiji this week.”
Ireland require strong performances across their remaining autumn windows to keep alive their ambitions of reaching the Nations Championship finals weekend, which runs from 27 to 29 November at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium. Ryan stressed the necessity of building on their previous outing against Argentina.
“The big thing for us this week is growing on last week and being better again and more consistent, which I think will be important,” Ryan said, as noted by SA Rugby magazine.
Fiji travel to Dublin following a 54-17 defeat against France in Lyon and remain winless in the competition after losing their three summer fixtures away from home. Nevertheless, Ryan warned against underestimating the opposition, pointing to the influence of recently appointed coaching staff.
“They are unbelievably good around the ruck, probably world leaders in terms of the number of turnovers they get and how strong they are over the ball, so it’s a big one for us up front,” Ryan concluded.