Dominic Ryan
then, finally. First time the abrasive flanker got highlighted in print was after ending Blackrock outhalf David Dunne’s participation in the 2005
Leinster
Schools Junior Cup quarter-final. Gonzaga were beaten out the gate but you came away knowing the kid could hit.
Three years later Ryan was so destructive in yet another comprehensive quarter-final loss, this time to Jack McGrath’s St Mary’s, that the blonde mop contributed to his performance being “a passable impression of Schalk Burger”.
Six years on there has almost been enough progress to get him into the same game as the great flanker. Back then there was enough evidence to make him only the second Gonzaga backrower, after Kevin McLaughin, to enter Leinster’s Academy.
“Kev was in sixth year when I was in first year. He was number eight for the seniors and captain and I was number eight and captain for the first years and he was my prefect, everyone used to call me ‘Mini Kev’.” said Ryan.
“He has been a bit of a role model for me. As you said, not many people make it from Gonzaga but it’s an attitude thing more than anything else when you come out of a school with minority representation.”
Attitude is certainly not a problem. Best quote from any player this season was Ryan stating that he rates himself against any flanker in the country. Doesn’t lack confidence. Never has.
“It’s funny, at Lansdowne where I used to play my [mini] rugby, at the end of the year we used to have an awards ceremony. There used to be a gap in the gate to the old Lansdowne Road and we used to sneak in the gap and none of the parents could get in. It was getting dark and I heard people shouting and me and two other lads were the only ones in there just running around.
‘Bit of a fantasy’
“My Dad said: ‘What the hell are you doing in there? Come out, it’s time to go home.’ And as I walked out of there I said: ‘Dad, some day I’m going to play for
Ireland
in there.’ So, as a kid it’s a bit of a fantasy and as you get older it becomes more of a reality and then when you finally get named reality sets in.
“So just the thought of being there, lining up for the national anthems, it’s quite an emotional feeling really, but I’m looking forward to it.”
The next exclamation mark in Ryan's career came 41 minutes into Leinster's gruelling examination down at Stade Marcel Michellin in December 2010. The losing bonus point to Clermont proved a successful return for Joe Schmidt to the French club he departed the previous summer. Schmidt had no problem turning to the 20-year-old when Jamie Heaslip hobbled off with a gamy ankle. Ryan, unsurprisingly, made some crunching tackles.
There followed two seasons of deep frustration as an ankle injury was not treated correctly, ensuring his slide down Leinster’s ultra-competitive backrow pecking order.
He captained Leinster A to the British and Irish Cup last season, banked a proper pre-season and came out all guns blazing in September. It helped that Shane Jennings and Jordi Murphy were laid up.
Swap roles
So this season, finally, came a run of games at openside with Rhys Ruddock on the blindside. Ironically the pair swap roles for Ireland on successive weekends. Not that it really matters, Richie McCaw plays six for New Zealand against Scotland at Murrayfield today.
“Joe always talks about doing stuff to make the person beside you look good. It is not necessarily all about you. If you ruck and clean deep to allow somebody to get around the corner and score a try, he’s going to see that. If the public won’t see it, he’ll see it.”
