KING JAMES
Ryan looks ready to step up as captain
FOR Ireland head coach Andy Farrell, C Day is fast approaching. This afternoon, Farrell will name a sizeable training squad to prepare for the Six Nations title defence but, most interestingly, he will confirm the identity of the new captain of the national team.
There have been many candidates put forward as Johnny Sexton’s successor, from short-term appointments to left-field suggestions. Everyone has had their say.
The betting odds were instructive yesterday with Peter O’Mahony, Caelan Doris and Dan Sheehan all installed at 5/2 to take the captain’s armband. James Ryan, meanwhile is out in fourth at 4/1.
It’s a strange situation. For a long, long time, Ryan looked the heir apparent. He was a natural leader.
The Leinster lock had led every single representative team on his journey to the top, from his schooldays at St Michael’s College all the way to the Ireland Under 20s.
Indeed, several of his teammates tell stories of Ryan’s inspirational leadership during a famous win against New Zealand in an U20 World Cup pool game in 2016.
Long hailed as the next Paul O’Connell, Ryan looked destined to lead Leinster and Ireland. He had captaincy credentials from a young age. A question of when, not if, those honours would arrive.
The kind of player who led from the front, set high standards and demanded respect from the top sides. It hasn’t quite worked out that way.
Yes, Ryan — despite a few slumps in form — has carved out a brilliant career. He is regarded as one of the top second rows in the world. He has 59 Test caps to his name and, injury permitting, he will become an Ireland centurion in the not too distant future.
He will surely tour with the Lions in 2025 and at age 27, time is on his side when it comes to unfinished business at World Cups.
Yet he still not regarded as an automatic pick as captain. Yes, his standing is high in both provincial and international camps. He has been on the senior leadership teams with both set-ups for quite some time. When Ryan speaks, people listen.
So, what gives? Why isn’t this impressive character not the automatic choice to succeed Sexton? He really should be unbackable at this stage.
If anything, the bookies should be already paying out. But here we are, on the eve of the squad announcement, still unsure of where Farrell’s head is at.
We still feel Ryan is the best, long-term and logical choice for the role. There are some parts of the gig which need work.
The Dublin native has become a lot more comfortable in front of the media in recent times, but there is plenty of scope for improvement. Getting grilled in front of the press is a constant reality for an Ireland captain. Sexton took it in his stride and, if anything, he seemed to enjoy it towards the end of his career. Ryan will need to loosen up a bit on that front. His rapport with referees needs a bit a work, too. He could do worse than pick up the phone and chat to Sexton for a bit of advice. The Leinster out-half wasn’t on a lot of officials’ Christmas card lists during his career but relations with a lot of the top whistlers improved immeasurably when he stepped up as Ireland captain in 2019.
It was all for the greater good. There is also the question of workload. And this has seemingly been the crux of the Ryan captaincy conundrum.
At times, the captaincy seemed to weigh a bit heavy on his broad shoulders.
For a forward who prided himself on workrate and influencing the game, perhaps the leadership role disrupted his flow.
It’s informative that Maro Itoje, despite being such a talisman for Saracens and England, is rarely bestowed with the captaincy. His coaches just want him to go out and do his thing, unburdened by extra responsibilities, on and off the pitch. Go out and cause havoc and let others worry about dealing with the media, refs and making the big calls on the pitch.
Ryan also deals with the added pressure of calling the lineout and, when the set-piece malfunctioned against South Africa in the pool stages of the World Cup, he felt the heat on that front, too.
A serious wrist injury hindered his progress but Iain Henderson’s elevation to the starting line-up, at Ryan’s expense, later in the tournament was a huge blow.
The fact that the Ulster second row’s promotion coincided with a far slicker lineout operation was a bit telling as well. It begs the question. Is Ryan a better performer when he is absolved of leadership duties on the pitch?
Plenty of critics voiced those concerns after a shaky display as stand-in skipper on Ireland’s last trip to Paris in 2022, with Ryan drawing criticism for a late decision to opt for three points at goal rather than roll the dice and kick for the corner with the visitors trailing by six points and with just eight minutes left on the clock.
Ryan, however, has learned from all of these experiences. Every great captain — be it Sean Fitzpatrick, Martin Johnson or Siya Kolisi — went through their fare share of rough days.
This is now Ryan’s time. Many felt he should have got the nod at the beginning of the last World Cup cycle when Rory Best retired.
“He could do worse than talk to Sexton”
Sexton got the gig and proved many people wrong by retaining the captaincy all the way through to the 2023 World Cup.
And there is a school of thought that Farrell will lean on O’Mahony do to a similar, short-term role in 2024. It would be kicking the captaincy can down the road, mind you.
Surely it’s a better idea to install someone who perhaps isn’t totally ready for this appointment but a character who will grow into the role, especially now that Farrell is on board until the 2027 World Cup.
The cases for Doris and Sheehan are compelling on that front.
They are short of on-field leadership experience. Doris has only just recently led Leinster for the first time. Both are nailed-on starters, however.
Ryan is competing against the the likes of Tadhg Beirne, Joe McCarthy and Henderson with ambitions young locks like Tom Ahern, Edwin Edogbo and Darragh Murray in hot pursuit.
If anything, it might bring the best out of this talented second row. Ryan may have taken the scenic route to get to this point but he is worthy of this promotion.
They say the best leaders are made, not born. Ryan has done his time on that front. He deserves another chance to prove it.