TRENDING NEWS
Back to news
31 Jul, 2025
Share:
Ryan's venom gets him the nod for first Lions Test start
@Source: the42.ie
Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Billy Stickland/INPHO Ryan's venom gets him the nod for first Lions Test start The 29-year-old brings a physical edge that Andy Farrell likes. 3.22pm, 31 Jul 2025 Share options Murray Kinsella Reports from Sydney MANY PEOPLE WHO were involved in the 2023 Champions Cup final believe that the result would have been different if James Ryan hadn’t been forced off injured after 29 minutes. Leinster had started like a runaway train, racing into an early lead as second row Ryan set an intensely physical tone. Ryan was on a mission to shut down Will Skelton and he landed some telling blows. Leinster were leading 17-7 when Ryan got an accidental knee to the head and had to go off. That’s where the tide truly began to turn in La Rochelle’s favour and they eventually broke Leinster’s hearts. It’s never about just one player but Ryan’s sheer physicality was badly missed by Leinster. That’s the kind of impact Ryan can have on big games. We saw it again last weekend as the Irishman was sprung from the Lions’ bench with 25 minutes left and helped to shift the physicality up a few notches. His back-to-back tackles on Wallabies skipper Harry Wilson were big moments in swinging the game in the Lions’ favour. First, Ryan dipped to smash Wilson along with Jack Conan as the Wallabies ran a play on second phase from a right-hand side lineout. Advertisement And just two phases later, Ryan chopped in low on Wilson, this time with Rónan Kelleher. Kelleher followed in to finish the job after Ryan’s initial dominant tackle, with both Lions players then popping back up to their feet to barge, meaning further pressure for the Wallabies. The result was that Wallabies scrum-half Jake Gordon passed the ball forward on the next phase. Ryan will be looking to bring this kind of physicality from the off in Saturday’s third Test against the Wallabies, having been promoted into the starting XV in place of Ollie Chessum. Joe McCarthy, who started the first Test but missed the second with a foot injury, didn’t train on Wednesday so that played into Ryan’s favour but this is a deserved selection. Farrell knows better than anyone that Ryan has been playing excellent rugby for several years now. His best work can go under the radar, but the edge Ryan brings often allows Leinster and Ireland to play their best stuff. He seems to have thrived with a more refined role in the last couple of seasons, a seek-and-destroy role that is more like the one he filled when first breaking through with Joe Schmidt’s Ireland in 2018. Ryan does still offer subtlety and experience in the lineout and other areas, as well as leadership, but Farrell likes how the Dublin native has honed in on his superstrength. “He’s seen his niche in his game and he’s not trying to be somebody else,” said Farrell. Ryan celebrates the Lions' second Test win.Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO “He does all the unseen work, all the graft stuff and has done it with a bit of venom in his game. “He hasn’t tried to be a ball–playing forward like some of the second rows have been, but he hits hard defensively and hits rucks really well, so we all need a bit of that.” Ryan wasn’t selected for the 2021 Lions tour when Warren Gatland was in charge, with Gatland saying the Irish lock was “unavailable for personal reasons,” something that didn’t tally with Ryan subsequently speaking about his disappointment at not being picked. Whatever happened in that case, Ryan always had a strong chance of being involved in Farrell’s squad this time around, given how big an impact he has had in a green jersey. Ryan has been used off the bench at times, with McCarthy and Tadhg Beirne starting, but he invariably makes an impact. Ryan largely went under the radar as a Test candidate and then his selection on the bench last week raised some eyebrows outside of Ireland. But Ryan proved the doubters wrong and now he gets his Lions Test start. Murray Kinsella Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Ryan's venom gets him the nod for first Lions Test start”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Ryan's venom gets him the nod for first Lions Test start”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion FreeAthletics Rhasidat Adeleke out of National Championships in Santry due to 'lingering' injury FreeCourt of Appeal Conor McGregor loses appeal over civil jury finding that he raped Nikita Hand 30 mins ago FreeSwimming Wiffen withdraw from World Aquatics Championships, McCartney qualifies for 200m breaststroke final FreeUnlucky 'Josh has epitomised what it takes to be a Lion' - Farrell Emma Byrne to stay on Ireland staff after taking manager's job at Lewes FreePremier League West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta cleared of spot-fixing charges FreeCroker Bound Leinster and Munster set to lock horns in October URC match at Croke Park Ryan and Kinghorn start as Farrell's Lions go with 6/2 bench Newton’s third law 'Just over 54Gs of direct force went through his neck' - Schmidt 'Tadhg was like, 'How many times have we been sitting on this bench?'' Former Ireland boss Eileen Gleeson set for new FAI role more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine TG4 Entertainment Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account
For advertisement: 510-931-9107
Copyright © 2025 Usfijitimes. All Rights Reserved.