James Ryan: He’s 21, played 21 matches and has won them all

The James Ryan story will always include togging out for Munster. Seriously. Stripped in Munster gear from head to toe with the stag over his heart. Leinster had run out of games and Joe Schmidt needed the prodigy to stretch those long limbs so he could be capped in Harrison, New Jersey.

Ireland Under-20s v Munster Development this weekend last year sounds like another one of those decisions Leinster’s most successful captain and now coach just had to swallow.

“There was a hope at the start of last season that James would come through,” said Leo Cullen, standing patiently in a narrow corridor under San Mamés after putting anyone who ever questioned his credentials to shame. “He was away with UCD playing a club game when he had that hamstring injury.”

Amid a tsunami of St Michael’s boys flooding the Leinster Academy there came this towering lock with more moxie than any of them. Even Dan Leavy.

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This is not Paul O’Connell reincarnated. Neither is he Mal O’Kelly 2.0. This is a 21-year-old ready to own a Champions Cup final when nobody else could.

“James Ryan is a great player,” said Donnacha Ryan after his namesake stalled celebrations to shake hands. No deep exchange of words, no passing of the guard embrace, just a nod.

“When I first saw him in Clontarf he was a string bean,” said Cian Healy. “He was skinny, he was tall, and he was talented but you don’t know. It’s how people step up to the plate.”

Class act

Healy was that soldier. His outstanding arrival in 2009, then surgical demise and Lazarus-like return to become Ireland’s most feted prop, with more medals than Bull Hayes, Phil Orr, Peter Clohessy, Nick Popplewell, Tom Clifford, Syd Miller and Ray McLoughlin combined.

“When we saw him step up to the plate it was jaw dropping at the start. You say, ‘hold on a second, he doesn’t look like he can do what he’s doing.’ It’s class. He’s going on and on. Eventually he’ll lose a game and we’ll pick him up and dust him off and send him out again.”

Ryan has not warmed to the media yet, so it’s for Healy and others to describe him. “He’s a character. He’s just blended in and dragged people together. It’s the same with a few of them. Young names don’t normally pop up that often. When they’re constantly getting spoken of they’ve a big influence on the squad.”

Jack McGrath is politely chatting away despite his own disappointment of slipping to the Leinster bench all because he missed pre-season to become a Lion who beat the All Blacks.

“He’s not arrogant he just knows he is good enough to be at that level. And he’s comfortably at that level. It is a meteoric rise to be playing for Munster to being capped for Ireland. He’s been phenomenal.”

Such players are a rare breed. “They are, they are. He’s a great lad. I’ve a lot of time for him. Long may it continue.”

Seán Cronin laughs at the mere mention of him. “He’s decent all right, isn’t he? A fantastic lad and just a good player. During the Six Nations you’re looking at him and he just gets it; what Joe is looking for, what Stuart and Leo are looking for. He just gets rugby and he’s a special player. What age is he?”

Luke McGrath must know what this goliath is really like.

“I have no idea,” smiled the scrumhalf. “I was in sixth year when he was in second year. He’s a freak. He hasn’t been beaten yet, 21 [professional games] now, is it? It’s incredibly impressive. I remember seeing him in school and knowing he was going to be some player. He was playing number eight in the Junior Cup.”

‘Incredibly determined’

Ryan may as well have been playing number eight against Racing 92. Victor Costello and Jamie Heaslip would stand over his relentless 80-minute shift.

“It’s hard to describe Cheese,” McGrath added. “He’s got a special mindset. He’s incredibly determined. He’s come through captaining sides, and the [Ireland] 20s as well, he’s almost an extra backrow out there. To have that physical presence at such a young age, he’s got an incredibly bright future.”

Johnny Sexton said if James Ryan was fit last season things would have worked out differently. When he was 20.

“We were ultra cautious about managing him back from that,” said Cullen, still in the corridor. “Making his debut for Ireland before Leinster [like Brian O’Driscoll] is such an unusual thing. He is a great pro already and a very wise head, but he has good support around him as well which is important – a very strong family network.”

Like the Cullen clan. During the lap of honour around Athletic Bilbao’s modern track Ryan found his twin brother, Mark, for a bear hug.

“He takes everything in his stride. It’s a pretty remarkable story what he has been through.”

The coach is unmoved by this latest freak show.

“Not when you see him at training every day – you are like, ‘bloody hell!’ the numbers he is able to deliver on a regular basis. We are lucky to have him. He is a very special talent but it’s important that we manage him as well. The big thing is we want guys to play for Leinster and Ireland for a long time. We need to make sure we pick our battles but if he continues on . . .”

Wonder, watch and marvel.