Conan on desire to keep playing and Farrell's influence

Ireland back row Jack Conan has praised head coach Andy Farrell for implementing a culture shift in camp to encourage players to talk more about their feelings.

Conan, who has won 62 caps since his Irish debut in 2015, has spent the majority of his international career working with Farrell, who was promoted to the head coach role in 2019 after working as a defence coach during Joe Schmidt's reign.

Conan believes Farrell's approach to open communication since he was appointed head coach has brought the squad closer together and helped new players settle quicker.

"He says 'I want you to be open and say how you are feeling whether it's good or bad, no wrong answers'," Conan told the Ireland Rugby Social podcast, external.

"I think when you are vulnerable or open it lets someone else be the same and it builds connection. I think it's been a real strong quality of the squad.

"Before, you'd be nervous and rattled and you wouldn't want to share [feelings] with anyone publicly in [team] meetings.

"Now, Faz would say 'do you all understand?' and people say now 'I don't' or 'I'm not sure'. You always fear being wrong to some degree, but if you have the best intentions and make a mistake it's fine. It's been a huge thing."

Conan sustained a shoulder injury in Leinster's Champions Cup win over Clermont earlier this month and will miss Ireland's November Nations Championship games against Argentina, Fiji and South Africa in Dublin.

The Bray native, who is a two-time British and Irish Lion, is aiming to be back and available for selection for next year's Six Nations and is desperate to feature at the 2027 Rugby World Cup next October.

His mother Ann died in August and Conan is striving to get back to fitness and enjoy his rugby to honour her memory.

"She used to text me before every single game and say 'good luck, we're proud'. That's all she ever said," a visibly emotional Conan said.

"That's a big thing for me now, enjoy it and make her proud. Take the stresses as a good thing and that's what I want to do."

While the 34-year-old acknowledges he is in the twilight years of his career, he feels physically and mentally able to carry on for the foreseeable future and will only start to consider retirement when he feels he has lost that edge to keep going.

"Bar the injury, my body feels good. As I'm getting older, I'm not getting weaker. I was never unbelievably quick, so physically I'm not declining, I'm still strong," he explained.

"I think when you get a little bit older, it's do you still really want it? Do you have it in you to show up on the hard days? Sometimes rehabbing now when I'm on a bike, I'm staring down the barrel and those are the real challenging moments.

"I still love what I do and the environment so that's what motivates you. Whether I play one, two or three years, we'll have to wait and see but right now I feel good and that doggedness is still there.

"I get a bit sick other lads are playing - it spurs me on which I think is healthy. I still want to compete."