CONAN KEEPS GOING

JACK CONAN had to wait almost two years for his second Irish cap but the 24-year-old is making up for lost time on Ireland’s summer tour. The big Leinster No8 (above) crossed for two tries in the 50-22 win over Japan on Saturday, having scored his first international try a week before against Canada. The Old Belvedere man has amassed 51 appearances for Leinster but having made his debut against Scotland in a warm-up game to the 2015 World Cup, he was forced to wait until the clash against the USA in New Jersey a next appearance in green. Conan said: “It will be harder this week because you’re playing the same team back-to-back. You’ve got to improve on the good things – then the things you weren’t good at, they need to be better. “The pressure is definitely on again and Joe Schmidt (inset) drives the standards as well as the players, we want to be here and perform at our best. There will be no slacking off. “We’ll train hard this week, we’ll be pushed more than we were in the last two weeks. The next game is the most important of the lot, the other two are done now and frankly they don’t really matter. “I feel I’ve done well this season and I want to finish on a high with a win, not a loss.” Conan, who has had enough of a battle on his hands to get into the Leinster back row not to mind Ireland’s, knows he needs to keep impressing. “It’s only my third cap, a third start, so for me it’s still a new experience and I still have a lot to prove.”