We Need To Start Fast In Paris – James Ryan

It may be a first ever Thursday night match in Paris but Ireland second row James Ryan expects the atmosphere to be as raucous as ever and says that Ireland need to start fast to quell the crowd.

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“I think big starts are definitely unbelievably important for us. They get their tails up, but then the crowd get behind them and they’re into their flow.

“A fast start for us is always important, but particularly so this weekend. I think going away from home over in Paris, you’ve got to start well, definitely. It’s a bit of a step up, certainly the noise levels. I remember we played there a few years ago and there was a couple of issues in terms of communication, guys not hearing things. Just because it’s a little bit different, the noise is huge,”

Ryan also spoke about what Ireland need to focus on in the cauldron that is Stade de France, “I’d say the big thing is probably our defence, just the way they play. They can be a little bit unpredictable.

“They can play a little bit off the cuff. Usually when you’re looking at teams, maybe they have clear pictures or trends in the way they play. France sometimes you can be not really sure. For us, it’s just making sure that we get all of our bits right so we can apply pressure on them.”