LOCK HIM IN
Ireland need to be bold and stick with Ryan as captain... even when Sexton is fit again
JAMES RYAN was typically for thright yesterday when the line of inquiry about his long-term prospects as Ireland captain inevitably arrived.
Last Saturday’s game at Twickenham was Ryan’s first time wearing the captain’s armband from the off — he had assumed leadership duties in the final quarter of the victory over Wales earlier this month — and the Leinster lock is seen as the man to succeed Johnny Sexton, sooner rather than later. ter.
Asked if he fancied holding ng onto the gig on a more permanent manent basis, Ryan was emphatic atic in his response.
‘No, hopefully Johnny will be back next week and he’ll be back leading the side,’ the Ireland second row admitted yesterday. erday.
‘It’s something I’ve enjoyed, yed, but he’s team captain.’
And that may well prove e to the case. Ryan will remain as captain against the Georgians on n Sunday. Aviva Stadium will be empty and his f amily and f riends will be watching on from afar, but it will be a proud moment for the Dublin native.
Sexton should come back into the mix the following week for the play-off game to round off this Autumn Nations Cup campaign — more than likely against Scotland. Going by Ryan’s comments yesterday, it appears t hat he wil l c e de t he captaincy t o Sexton f or Ireland’s final outing of 2020 next week.
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell may feel that he has ticked one big box in his grand plan. That being a succession strategy for Sexton as Ireland captain.
Ryan will have got a taste for the gig against England and Georgia — learned plenty about the process — before normal order resumes should Sexton return to full fitness.
It might be the case that Sexton holds onto the captaincy ahead of the 2021 Six Nations. That will depend on whether an out-half steps forward and makes a play for his starting spot, be it Ben Healy or Jack Carty or Billy Burns, either of the Byrne brothers or even Joey Carbery — whose return from injury remains uncertain.
If we get to January and Sexton remains the premier No10 on this island — which seems highly likely at this stage — then he is poised to continue as out-half and captain for next year’s championship. Sexton turns 36 next July, right in the thick of the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa. Should he make that flight to Cape Town, it may be his swansong or he may drive on towards the next World Cup in 2023. Time will tell on that front.
For now, it seems that the Leinster out-half will reclaim his role as Ireland captain in the not too distant future. It would be the easy option for Farrell, but the big question is whether it’s the right option going forward?
It’s worth noting that Ryan is a relative novice when it comes to leadership at senior level.
His captaincy credentials were apparent all through his formative years, from his days at St Michael’s right through to the Ireland U20s — who he led to a World Cup final in 2016.
Howeverm Ryan has yet to captain Leinster at senior level. There are an abundance of leaders at the province at present, including Sexton, Rhys Ruddock, Garry Ringrose and Scott Fardy.
So he is very much learning on the job. And there was a sense that it might have been one job too many for the 24-year- old against England.
Already entrusted with calling the lineouts as well as producing his usual freakish numbers on both sides of the ball, it seemed to weigh a bit heavy on his young shoulders with the concession of a few uncharacteristic penalties. Then again, Sexton — for all his experience — has encountered his fair share of problems as Ireland captain this year as well. Yet he remains the dominant voice in this Irish squad at present and that is set to be reflected in Farrell’s choice of captain when both players are available f or selection. Ryan has been given a quick apprenticeship in the role before the master returns to run the show. A similar scenario played out under Eddie O’Sullivan’s stewardship back in 2002. Keith Wood had been the long-serving skipper under the Corkman’s coaching regime, but the Harlequins hooker was ruled out of the autumn internationals with a debilitating neck injury. Without Wood’s galvanising experience, O’Sullivan turned to Brian O’Driscoll — just 23 at the time — to step up against the Wallabies. The Leinster centre would be the youngest player to captain Ireland in an international since Rob Saunders led his country against France in 1991. O’Driscoll’s promotion was a nod to his standing in the squad as a player rather than his influ
“Who is more likely to be at their peak come 2023?”
ence as a leader at the time. He would grow into the role: team talks, interacting with referees, dealing with the media and so forth. But O’Sullivan backed him to step up because O’Driscoll was a world-class player who inspired his team-mates on the pitch.
He would captain Ireland to a hard-fought 18-9 win over Australia that weekend.
Wood would battle back to full fitness and make the World Cup the following year, reclaiming the c aptaincy in t he process. O’Driscoll would step up again after that tournament following Wood’s retirement. He would go on to captain Ireland on 83 occasions. A natural fit, eventually.
The same scenario is set to play out again with Sexton and Ryan, but time is not on the former’s side and there is a compelling argument for Farrell to be bold and stick with the younger and less experienced option.
Farrell has had a rocky start to his tenure but was given a fouryear contract and a mandate to bring this squad towards the next World Cup in France.
Who is more likely to be at his peak when that tournament rolls around in 2023? Ryan remains a work in progress as captain but, like O’Driscoll, he is a born leader and worth the investment.