'the Best Few Weeks Of My Career' - Lions' Conan

Like each different subordinate successful nan British and Lions squad, Jack Conan waits nervously for nan action news earlier Saturday's first Test against Australia.

The 32-year-old from Bray has been done this process before, albeit nether different circumstances 4 years ago.

In South Africa, nan Lions played successful quiet stadiums because of Covid-19.

Ireland's Conan was picked for each 3 Test matches and that's a grounds he'd for illustration to proceed successful Australia, connected a circuit he has described arsenic "the champion fewer weeks of my career".

"Yeah, it's chalk and food but it's been unbelievably special, unbelievably enjoyable," explained Conan.

"It's vastly different to 4 years ago. With no-one successful nan crowd, it felt eerie and unusual not to person anyone location astatine what should beryllium nan biggest juncture of your career: A fewer weeks pinch nan lads getting to move about, spot immoderate of nan different places and spot a batch of reddish astatine nan games.

"The ambiance [here] has been incredible. I thought nan crippled successful Adelaide was unbelievable.

"I deliberation everyone's perfectly loved it and it's been a awesome situation truthful acold and we're looking guardant to pushing connected and being amended than we person been successful nan past fewer weeks.

"I deliberation everyone will beryllium a spot tense astir action but I deliberation everyone's gone incredibly well, particularly successful nan backmost row."

The puzzle of sorting retired nan champion operation for nan backmost statement has been solved by nan coaching unit and nan world will find retired nan reply connected Thursday.

Striking nan correct equilibrium could beryllium nan quality betwixt winning and losing nan first Test pinch nan breakdown apt to beryllium crucial.

"It's reliable for nan coaches I'm judge and hopefully we've fixed them each plentifulness of headaches complete nan past while, because I deliberation nary matter who's been retired location they've taken their opportunity really well," Conan said.

"It's astir those lads who get to tally retired connected nan play to do correct by nan lads who aren't playing - and nan lads who are connected nan chair and making nan astir of their opportunity.

"That level of talent pushes everyone connected to beryllium astatine your best. I don't deliberation anyone tin opportunity that they've been mediocre complete nan past fewer weeks and I deliberation particularly successful nan backmost statement nan standard's been unbelievably high.

"It's been a joyousness to play pinch nan lads and get to cognize them and I've perfectly loved it complete nan past fewer weeks."

The Lions person been keen to emphasise they are focused connected themselves but for illustration galore of nan squad, Conan has been coached by Wallabies Joe Schmidt and location is simply a batch of communal respect.

"I deliberation he's had occurrence nary matter wherever he's gone whether it beryllium pinch Leinster, pinch america and evidently nan All Blacks and now Australia," Conan said.

"There's an accent he puts connected definite areas of nan game.

"Look, it's not going to beryllium an easy crippled astatine all.

"Test lucifer rugby ne'er is truthful we're going to person to beryllium astatine our best.

"I deliberation nan media mightiness springiness them a spot of a difficult clip but we cognize that they're an unbelievably bully broadside pinch unthinkable athletes crossed nan park.

"And we cognize really motivated they are going to beryllium for this first Test lucifer successful 12 years connected location ungraded against nan Lions truthful we'll person to make judge that their information isn't difficult connected us."

So nan superior business of this circuit is astir to footwear successful and Conan is fresh to look nan situation - if selected.

"No-one tin ever return distant being a Lion for maine and playing successful 3 Tests - but 4 years agone is decidedly not nan aforesaid arsenic now," he said.

"This has been an unthinkable joyousness and nan champion fewer weeks of my profession and I deliberation that's a sentiment that's shared passim nan squad.

"Everyone's loving it and loving nan challenge. We are unbelievably excited for Saturday to hopefully we tin spell retired and create a spot of history."