THERE WAS THE blistering start to James Ryan’s career – Grand Slam, Champions Cup, a year before he tasted defeat as a pro – and then there was the drop-off, what music makers call the difficult second album.
A series of concussions and injuries didn’t help while the downward trajectory of Ireland’s displays post 2018 and right up to November last year didn’t do much for his self-belief either.
Throw in a rejection by Warren Gatland when he named his British and Irish Lions squad to tour South Africa and the stick that came Ryan’s way when, as captain, he pointed to the posts rather than the corner at a critical stage of Ireland’s defeat to France in this year’s Six Nations, and you can get a sense of where we’re going with this quick bio.
And yet things have a habit of changing quickly in sport. Ryan entered this tour with doubts in some quarters over whether he would make the starting XV but ends it with his reputation restored. In every aspect of the game, he was spectacular in the decisive Test at Wellington.
“Winning this series is definitely right up there and it could be top (in terms of career achievements),” Ryan said. “Winning a Grand Slam is so hard to do but winning over here is seriously tough as well and what probably makes me appreciate it even more is that I’ve had days when things haven’t gone my way or our way.
“Also it’s been a difficult year too. I’ve been in the game and out of the game, having setbacks in terms of injuries and stuff like that. It hasn’t been an easy season at times but being able to be back playing, be back fit, get a number of games under my belt and finish the season off injury free and with a series win like this, and to enjoy that with such a great bunch of people, it’s amazing.
“I’m delighted, just to get a run of games and a run of games injury free. There have been difficult times in the last couple of years because I’ve had setbacks in terms of injuries and stuff like that. It’s taken me a while to get my confidence back…
“After concussions, it takes a bit of time to get your confidence back and physically be ready for it again. But look, I’m feeling good, I’m feeling like I’m in a good position. I don’t want to make it about me but I’m so happy to be involved in such a great win.”
A great win had the potential to turn into the greatest meltdown ever. Ahead 22-3 at the break – the most sizeable half-time lead any team has ever had over the All Blacks – three quick-fire All Blacks tries cut the gap to 25-22 with just under 20 minutes remaining.
“But nobody panicked,” said Ryan.
“They got a couple of early tries and what we said under the posts was this is what happens at this level. You get these punches in the face and things don’t go your way and the opposition gets a purple patch. It’s just about how you respond and for us it’s about winning the next moment, it’s about being a next-moment team.
“They’re the situations that you want to be in, do you know what I mean? You want to test yourselves and see where we’re at.
“They got a couple of early scores and we had to respond, and I thought we responded pretty well. Rob Herring obviously got that great score off the back of a maul, finished really well, and we just stuck in there.”
Ireland captain Johnny Sexton was quick to give praise to Ryan for his part in the score, revealing how the decision to go to the corner rather than at the posts was heavily influenced by the second row.
Ryan explained: “The drive was going well. It’s just a ‘feel’ thing really.
“Sometimes they don’t go your way. Sometimes you feel it’s the right option, they get in the air and a turnover, and then you probably get a bit of flak for not taking the points. But sometimes you’ve just got to back yourself and we felt it was the right thing at the time, and I thought Rob did so well to finish it off the back.”
Cue celebrations that lasted long into the night.
“It was almost a sense of disbelief, not that we didn’t believe, but it just means so much to win over here, and to win a series over here, and to back up last week. I’m just so happy for the group and for the squad and for the support staff and management, because there’s so much that went into this.”