Jack Conan: ‘I feel like I haven’t had the opportunity to perform on the world stage’

Even those aiming for a fourth World Cup, namely Cian Healy, Conor Murray, Johnny Sexton and Keith Earls, are motivated by a sense of unfinished business, and that is certainly true for Jack Conan as he seeks a second tilt at the four-yearly global jamboree.

Four years ago, Conan had broken into the frontline 23, playing the full 80 minutes in both warm-up wins over Wales and an hour of the dominant opening pool win over Scotland off the bench.

He was due to start the second pool game against Japan, but was a late withdrawal after a team-mate stood on his foot in training, which may have contributed to Joe Schmidt’s slightly frazzled mood at that day’s team announcement in Tokyo, with Sexton also not in the 23.

Conan watched Ireland’s defeat in the stands with a moon boot protecting his injury, before flying home the next day, an experience he describes as “incredibly gutting,”, before adding: “I definitely feel like I haven’t had the opportunity to perform on the world stage.

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“Obviously, I’ve played in the Six Nations and stuff, New Zealand last year and whatever else, but the World Cup is definitely something special.

“With my age profile, I’m not sure I will be knocking around in four years time,” admitted the 31-year-old with a wry smile. “So, I am excited to be at my best and put my hand up in these few warm-up games and then hopefully into the World Cup to show what I can do on that big stage.”

Reflecting on that shuddering loss to Japan, Conan said: “That was a strange occasion, to be in the changing room and knowing I wouldn’t play any more part while the lads were gutted. You feel for the lads, but obviously feel useless because there’s nothing you can do.”

Worth the risk

If truth be told, his trodden foot was an accident waiting to happen.

“I’d been struggling. I had a stress fracture in my foot for months leading up to it. I hadn’t trained a whole lot leading up to those warm-up games and to be honest I was living on borrowed time. I knew it was probably going to go at some stage, it was just a matter of trying to be at my best and trying to manage it as best I could, and we did.

“The medical staff, all the docs and the physios, did unbelievable work, and it just wasn’t meant to be. It was going to go at some stage and it just went earlier than I thought.”

The injury required an operation, with no guarantees he would return. Others had retired with the same injury. He knew it would be a physically and mentally testing journey back. While sidelined for six months, he wondered whether he’d made the right decision to play at the last World Cup, but he still believes it was worth the risk.

“It was an incredible experience, even the two or three weeks I was there (Japan) and an incredible honour playing in the World Cup.”

No sooner was he due to return with Leinster on their URC trek to South Africa the following March than Covid hit. Ultimately, he didn’t play for Ireland again for almost 18 months, and admits that at times he wondered if he ever would again.

His return to Test rugby was as a replacement in the 48-10 win over Italy at an empty Stadio Olimpico in the 2021 Six Nations, which actually proved something of a turning point for the team after the opening two losses against Scotland and France.

Ireland have won 22 of their last 24 matches since that day, with Conan playing in all but three of those wins. There have been eight starts and 13 appearances off the bench and while the feeling that Caelan Doris is more effective at 8 is widespread, there’s no doubt Conan’s presence adds real game-breaking qualities.

There were also signs towards the end of the Grand Slam campaign that Conan was back to his explosive and dynamic best after a scan on a neck injury revealed a cyst on his pituitary gland which detected a debilitating hormone imbalance.

Conan’s palpable sense of excitement is heightened by the squad’s training levels ahead of this first match week in a momentous 2023-24 season.

Building blocks

Time was when pretty much all players dreaded pre-seasons, but not anymore it seems. Far from it.

“We have put in some great building blocks over the last few weeks, trained really hard,” said Conan after stating that Tuesday’s first full session of the week had been “through the roof”.

“To be fair to the coaching staff, they have looked after us as well.

They have been very good and it has been hugely enjoyable. It’s definitely the best pre-season I have ever been a part of,” ventured the 31-year-old.

The corresponding World Cup pre-season four years ago did not fall into that category for Conan.

“It’s vastly different, if I am honest – probably got a lot of things wrong four years ago that I don’t really want to get into now,” he says, pausing.

“But the way we are training now, it’s all rugby-related. It’s getting fitter through rugby and performing under fatigue. I think it’s really going to stand to us. We’re just adding layers and layers on top of the things we have already been trying to perfect over the last few years, going back to the basics and continually trying to get better.

“So, I think we’re in a great spot and it’s a really, really exciting time to be a part of the journey.”