LAST UPDATE | 9 Nov 2022
AS IMPRESSIVE AS Saturday’s 19-16 defeat of the Springboks was, it was interesting to note the reaction of the Ireland players on the pitch when the final whistle sounded. The muted celebrations suggested the mindset was ‘job done, onto the next one.’
A year out from the World Cup, it’s an understandable approach. This group knows that what happens this November is no guarantee that everything will go to plan in France next year.
With the Boks slayed, the squad are now focused on staying on track in the next two fixtures against Fiji and Australia, building momentum and keeping the bar high leading into next year’s Six Nations.
“The lads set an unbelievable platform at the weekend, the 15, 23 that ran out,” says Jack Conan.
“The physicality, the defensive pressure they put on, our set-piece as a forward pack was really nailed on.
“We spoke this week about that being the status quo now, and we need to push on from that and get better. That is going to be the challenge because lads went so well on the weekend.”
Conan came on for the final 12 minutes to help see out the game against South Africa. Although he would have liked to have seen more gametime, he takes pride in being part of an impressive collective effort by the Ireland bench – an important statement against the Springboks’ famed ‘Bomb Squad.’
We wanted to finish strong and we did. We obviously conceded 14/15 minutes out from the end, so there was a massive emphasis on the lads coming off the bench to add tempo and clarity and calmness and finish strong, and I definitely felt like we did that.
“They hype up their bench the whole time, their ‘Bomb Squad’ or whatever. The lads were happy, the coaches were happy, it’s a good statement as well. You want the full bench, the full 23 adding value.”
The 30-year-old has had to get used to adding value from the bench amid strong competition across the Ireland backrow.
A British and Irish Lion in 2021, Conan started three of Ireland’s five Six Nations games this year, but was named on the bench for all three summer Tests in New Zealand, a role he repeated again last weekend.
It’s tough, coming on at any stage. You don’t know when you’re going to get on. Mentally, you’ve got to make sure that you’re on it, that you’re ready to go. When you’re on the bench you don’t know if you’re going to be called on in the first minute or the 79th minute.
“You need to be mentally at that fever pitch. Physically, you’re so eager to get on and do well, and contribute and add value to the lads where they need it, especially that late on in the game when the lads need a bit of energy, you’re ready to go.
“It’s tough, but you get your second wind and get going again. I didn’t get a whole lot of collisions when I came on (against South Africa), it was just the nature of the game, it’s about picking your battles and any opportunity you get to lay down a physical marker, you take it.”
Tomorrow the group will enjoy a welcome day off after a high intensity start to the Autumn Nations Series. While Andy Farrell has created an enjoyable squad environment in Ireland camp, his players understand the value in taking time to switch off from the demands of Test rugby.
“It’s very important that you do get time to switch off and spend time in a largely non-rugby capacity because it can be all consuming and you need to get that bit of headspace and a bit of a breather as well,” Conan adds.
“And the coaches are very good at implementing, not shorter days, but we’ll do all our work here. When we get back to Carton, we’ll have done what we have done and there won’t be those kind of extra meetings or something like that.
“Now obviously there is the onus on the individual and professional players to get together and go through video and things like that, which everyone does, but there’s no kind of like, nine o’clock meetings that bring everyone together, so there is a great balance of working really hard right here.
“Recovering as well in the facilities that are here and then when you get back to Carton, you’ve a bit of work but it is also being able to switch off and you know… We got together as a squad Saturday post-game and everyone’s able to enjoy those moments.
“And it’s important because, you know, you beat the world champions. It’s something to be celebrated but as is rugby and its nature, you can never celebrate for too long. It is always on to the next one so we will turn the page pretty quickly.”
This Saturday should offer Conan a chance to show Farrell his quality against a very different type of opponent.
South Africa wouldn’t play a whole lot in their own half, whereas with Fiji, it’s the complete opposite, they will play from anywhere. We were looking at clips today of them playing against Wales last year. [Seta] Tuicuvu takes a mark on the 22, there’s 44 minutes gone, they’re down a red card, most teams would just kick the ball and play in the other half.
“But he takes it quickly and goes, and they run 80 metres – so that’s the challenge this week. You have to be on consistently for 80 minutes because you know that these lads are going to take any opportunity, even if it’s not on, they’re going to run and play. They’ll play far more expansively than South Africa will.
“The ability they have to a man to beat people one-on-one is some of the best in the world. So, there will be no time to switch off or catch your breath really. It’ll be a consistent performance that is needed to beat them.
“They’re big men as well. I think there will be more one-off collisions in that they are more unpredictable than South Africa. It’s definitely a different challenge for us.”
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