"He's A Serious Athlete" - James Ryan impressed by Edwin Edogbo as Ireland locks jostle for Six Nations start against France - Ruck
Ireland Rugby News Six Nations 2026

“He’s A Serious Athlete” – James Ryan impressed by Edwin Edogbo as Ireland locks jostle for Six Nations start against France

2 February 2026
Tom Sansom

There is nothing quite like some friendly competition to keep you on your toes. Ireland lock James Ryan is certainly feeling the benefits of this, as Munster’s uncapped bolter Edwin Edogbo is having quite the impact in the training camp. Ireland are currently fine-tuning their preparations out in Portugal, ahead of their 2026 Guinness Six Nations opening round clash with France on Thursday.

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The competition for places continues to heat up, as Edogbo is chomping at the heels of the experienced Ireland international James Ryan. The Leinster man revealed how Edogbo has certainly turned some heads since arriving at the Quinta do Lago training camp, as Ryan battles to retain his second row jersey against the Edogbo, Joe McCarthy and Tadhg Beirne.

“Yeah, I have been [impressed]. He’s [Edogbo] hit the ground running really well here. He’s a serious athlete and since he’s come back from that long layoff with the injuries he’s had, he’s been really impressive. So yeah, he’s been great since he’s come in.”

“Yeah, it’s great. There’s so much competition now in the second row, in the back five really. There’s great variety there in terms of the different athletes we have. Obviously, you’ve got someone like Joe [McCarthy] or Edwin who are unbelievably powerful players. Then someone like a Tadhg Beirne who’s almost like a back row the way he plays as well. I think we all complement each other pretty well.“The competition hopefully can be a great thing for us and keep pushing all of us on.”

Looking across the engine rooms, Ryan cast his eye upon what he expects the French locks to bring to this coming Thursday’s clash in Paris. France host Ireland for a blockbuster opening bout to ignite the 2026 Six Nations, with the iconic amphitheater of the Stade de France providing the back-drop in Saint-Denis. Ryan revealed what he is anticipating from the towering French locks, and lifted the lid upon how it feels to walk into the wall of frenzied French fans at the Parisian stadium.

“It probably makes it more difficult to win the ball.” Ryan said, upon the France line-out. “Usually, they tend to pick a big lock in the second row as well, [Emmanuel] Meafou or someone like that, but the set-piece will be a huge part of the game this week. Going away from home, scrum and lineout, France will probably fancy themselves there, so we’ve got to make sure that we’re all over that part of the game.”

 “The atmosphere is a little bit different. It’s a bit of a step up, certainly the noise levels. I remember we played there [Stade de France] 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.

“It falls back on that focus and concentration piece. Making sure that you’re unbelievably present so we can do our job there. On an occasion like this, you can be inward and let it get to you or you can see it as an opportunity and something to get excited about.“I think that’s the main thing trying to get across to some of the young guys. You need to attack games like this. So hopefully we can do that.”

Ireland will need to be extra sharp upon their set-piece, given the colossal decibel levels they are set to face inside the Parisian sporting cauldron. Ryan expressed how set-piece success, namely around the line-out and close-quarter contests, will be paramount if Ireland hope to bag a famous win away in France.

“100 per cent. France are driving more than any other team in the world at the moment. That lineout drive and the scrum is a huge part of their DNA and probably something that gives them a lot of belief. So it’s a big challenge for us as well up front in terms of the set-piece. We’re unbelievably excited about that too.”

“They do have a lot of variety in their line-out attack. For us, it’s making sure that we do our homework on them and we have a clear plan. But also, you don’t want to overthink it and overdo it either. We’ve got to get our own principles right and make sure that we don’t move too far away from that as well.“Their lineout was a strength for them last year. I think they won 95-100 per cent of lineout ball. It’s a big part of their game and it was definitely a strength of theirs last year.”

Whilst Ireland are expectant that France will bring their regimented authoritative approach to the pack, it’s their prolific ‘jouer’ approach that will be asking questions of their defensive mettle. Spearheaded by the scrum half maestro Antoine Dupont, Ireland anticipate a fast-flowing offload game in the French capital, with an ‘off the cuff’ approach to the stylish French flair.

“It’s a big test for us defensively, just the way they play in terms of, they like to keep the ball alive.” Ryan added. “They’re obviously unbelievably good on turnover, counter-attack. So, just a big challenge for us defensively.”

“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. So for us, it’s just making sure that we get all of our bits right. So we can apply pressure on them.”

“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.”

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