‘If you’re good enough, then you’re old enough’
It said so much about Ryan’s staggering level of performance that despite a player of Iain Henderson’s calibre returning from injury, last week’s big selection issue didn’t concern him in the slightest.
The 21-year-old has cemented his place in the engine room and ahead of the showdown at Twickenham, the major question is; who starts alongside him?
Ryan set the tone in Paris with a mature performance that was beyond his years.
Against Scotland last weekend, he was Ireland’s top tackler (15) and carrier (13). And that’s not to mention how much of a force he was at the lineout.
Ryan plays the game as if he is a seasoned veteran, so it is no wonder Joe Schmidt has shown so much faith in him, but even still, for a 21-year-old to have made this much progress in such a short space of time is impressive.
Ryan captained Porter and Stockdale throughout the Ireland underage teams that they were involved in and the flying winger has spoken about the special aura that he has about him.
Like his former skipper, Stockdale has not been fazed by anything that has been put in front of him.
Ten tries in eight caps is a phenomenal strike-rate and while he still has defensive issues, it is impossible to drop him.
That almost goes against Schmidt’s nature as he demands that his players do the basics well, but Stockdale is an exception to the rule.
A first trip to Twickenham with a Grand Slam on the line would ordinarily be a daunting task but these players thrive under the pressure.
The last time Ryan, Stockdale and Porter lost in a green jersey was in 2016. Losing on the international stage is just not something they are used to.
That winning mentality is something that Schmidt craves and in this next crop, he has born winners who are on the verge of writing themselves into the history books which certainly bodes well for years to come.