LEINSTER AND IRELAND back-rower Jack Conan is aiming to make up for lost time when Ireland take on Fiji in the Auumn Nations Series this Saturday.
The 30-year-old has had to overcome a number of injuries after becoming the number 1 eight for Ireland. He's also lost his place to Munster's Peter O'Mahony in the back row.
The Leinster man is now aiming to regain his place and kick-on after returning to the side last week.
Hungry and fit Jack Conan looking for game time against Fiji https://t.co/BQLuztKJAn pic.twitter.com/DYBY5k35mv
— Irish Times Sport (@IrishTimesSport) November 9, 2022
Early on I was bit in and out. I had a few knocks and things like that, so it was a bit of a stop-start kind of few weeks," Conan said.
"But I'm feeling good, I haven't missed out on training sessions here. Body feels great so hopefully I will get an opportunity at the weekend and get a proper run out.
"I’ve just had little things. My back was to me one day. I had a load of just little things that were poorly timed with a lot of the games. I cut my eye open against Connacht and that was just something that couldn’t get fixed up in time to go back on. It’s great to be here. It’s great to be in camp back with Ireland and winning games and performing well with the lads."
Last weekend Conan played 11 minutes off the bench for Ireland in the 19-16 win over South Africa.
Having beaten another rugby superpower in the Bok's, Ireland will be quietly confident ahead of the World cup in France next year, but Conan believes that Ireland need to improve on their already excellent form if they want to to get better.
"It's massive, you want to play against the best team in the world, we are the best team in the world at the moment," he added.
"It's a platform and a springboard going forward. We took a lot of lessons from it. There are massive areas we can get better at but it's great Fiji this week, Australia next week, and leading into the Six Nations that we have that good performance under our belt.
"The lads set an unbelievable platform at the weekend, the 15, the 23 that ran out. The physicality, the defensive pressure they put on, our set-piece as a forward pack was really nailed on.
"We spoke this week about that being the status quo now, and we need to push on from that and get better. That is going to be the challenge because lads went so well on the weekend.
"It’s a different challenge in Fiji, but again massive physical bodies, so it won’t be easy in that regard either."
Ireland plays Fiji at 1pm Saturday.
⏪ Last time out against Fiji, Jack Conan raced away for his fourth Test try in a 23-20 win in 2017...#TeamOfUs | #IREvFIJI pic.twitter.com/c9CwonS0G8
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) November 8, 2022
