Conan has his eye on Stander’s Ireland jersey

JACK CONAN is relishing tomorrow’s battle with CJ Stander at Thomond Park as he seeks to stake a claim on the Ireland No 8 jersey for the Six Nations, and beyond. The Leinster and Munster stars are set to go head-tohead in Limerick tomorrow in an early audition for the championship opener against England at Lansdowne Road on February 2. And, while Stander has been Joe Schmidt’s preferred choice, Conan knows this is a big opportunity to change the Ireland head coach’s thinking with the World Cup just 10 months away. ‘Any time you’re going up against one of the other provinces, it’s a good opportunity to put your hand up against someone who could potentially be ahead of you or getting the nod to be starting ahead of you,’ says Conan. ‘It’s going to be massive for me and I quite enjoy those opportunities when I get to play against any of the other internationals. I look forward to going head-tohead with him (Stander). ‘We’ve been lucky to come out on top the last few times but it’s always a tough day down there.’ Leo Cullen left Conan — who was managing a shoulder injury — out of his starting

line-up to face Bath at the Rec earlier this month, but the powerful backrower was reinstated at No 8 for the rematch at Lansdowne Road. Conan crossed for a try during that Dublin demolition, and now the 26-year-old is looking to finish the year in a rich vein of form. ‘I did have a bit more to prove when I was disappointed to be left out [for the first Bath match],’ he adds. ‘In hindsight, it was the right decision. I wasn’t 100 per cent right with my shoulder. The coaches know better than I do. At the time, I was annoyed. Afterwards, I could see why they did it and they were right to do it. ‘I was just lucky enough I got my shot the next week and I definitely did have more to prove, not starting the week before.’