JACK CONAN HAS always made it patently clear that he doesn’t want to play his rugby anywhere other than Leinster, and he is now focused on bringing his game to the next level ahead of the business end of the season.
The 24-year-old has developed into a quality operator at number eight and has seen his stock rise immeasurably over the course of a year which has seen him become a real force for Leinster.
Conan has put a frustrating injury layoff to one side to rediscover the devastating form which saw him initially break into Leinster set-up and then win his only international cap back in August 2015.
There had been suggestions the former St Gerard’s student should look for a move away from the RDS with as many as eight international back row forwards currently on the books at Leinster, but Conan wasn’t interested in looking elsewhere.
Conan, who will commit his future to the province at some stage over the coming weeks, admits it will be hard to displace Jamie Heaslip when Leo Cullen has a full deck to choose from again but he thrives off that competition.
“I never look too far into that,” he said, when asked if there were mixed feelings when Heaslip signed his new contract.
“Obviously for the club it’s great to have Jamie around for another few years. What he brings here and what he’s brought has been absolutely fantastic and I know I’ve learned a lot off him and we get on very well.
“It’s great to have him around for a few more years and keep learning off him and obviously over the next few months I’d like to push him closer and closer and hopefully some day it will be me starting head of him but at the moment he’s the best number eight in the country in my eyes so I’ll have to keep working hard.
“I’m not a million miles off. Jamie is probably a better all round player than I am, facets of my game need to improve and I’ve spoken to coaches and working on those things but just keep on the way I’m going and hopefully I put my hand up for it.”
Conan’s form in a blue shirt has been recognised by Joe Schmidt and he has spent the last few weeks in camp with Ireland at their base in Carton House before being released back to Leinster towards the end of the week.
It has allowed him to train with the senior squad and gain that invaluable experience as well as lining out for Leinster in the same week, although he’s the type of player that comes away disappointed he hasn’t done enough to force his way into Schmidt’s plans.
“I can’t complain [about his form],” he says. “Going alright, once I’m playing I’m happy. Have been putting decent performances back-to-back which is probably something I lacked a bit in previous years was consistency. Some good games and then I wouldn’t be as efficient as the one before.
“I just think I’m playing a bit more consistently and constantly doing things that are showing well so happy with the way I’m going at the moment.
“I’ve been down in camp the last few days and it would be great [to be involved] but that’s the way it is.
“Definitely that bit closer and definitely learning a lot from being down there and even though I might not have got an opportunity to play during the Six Nations, I’ve definitely gained a lot from the amount of time down there in the set up with the coaches and the rest of the lads. It has definitely been a worthwhile experience and you never know hopefully come the summer tour and a few of the lads are away I might get another opportunity to put my hand up for the green jersey.”
With crunch games coming up in the Pro12 and a Champions Cup quarter-final against Wasps coming down the track, Conan hopes to impress further and work his way into the reckoning for that tour of Japan in June.
“Please god, if I keep going the way I’m going I’ll be in the shop window for it,” he adds.
“I can only control with what I’m doing and I’m happy with the way I’m going. If I keep on going in the vein of form I’m in at the moment I’d like to think I’d be there.
“I have a bit of a chat with him [Joe]. He grabs you from time to time and says look you’re not involved this week but keep the faith and keep the head up and I’d talk to him about what I can improve on and things I need to do. There’s always positive feedback coming from him.”
Jack Conan was speaking at the launch of the 2017 Bank of Ireland Leinster School of Excellence. More information can be found here.
Subscribe to The42 Rugby Show podcast here:
