It’s been a long time coming – Jack Conan relishing starting Six Nations opener

Ireland star Jack Conan is ready to realise a dream by running out in front of a capacity Dublin crowd on the opening weekend of a Guinness Six Nations campaign – 12 months on from feeling “a bit of a mug”.

Conan approaches the tournament on the back of the finest year of his career to date, having become a British and Irish Lion and established himself as a key cog in Andy Farrell’s imposing forward pack.

The influential 29-year-old has never previously started a championship curtain-raiser and his current situation is a far cry from last February.

After being overlooked by head coach Farrell for his country’s opening two fixtures of 2021, Conan was instead performing at club level and left waving to imaginary supporters as he celebrated his 100th Leinster appearance in underwhelming fashion.

“It’s great to finally get to the position I am,” said Conan, ahead of Saturday’s sold-out clash with reigning Six Nations champions Wales.

“It’s probably taken me a bit longer than I wanted to but a few injuries and then obviously a lot of quality players around as well and probably been guilty of under-performing myself over the years as well.

“I think this week last year, I made my 100th cap for Leinster against the Dragons in Rodney Parade and ran out to an empty stadium giving it that (waves at an imaginary crowd)!

“Luke McGrath was the captain and he said ‘you’re going to run out’. I said, ‘Lukey, what are you on about? There’s no-one in the stadium’.

It’s great now to be sitting here and being able to get a start in a Six Nations opener in Dublin and in front of a full house.- Jack Conan

“There was the lads on the bench, the coaches and the Dragons fellas, so I felt like a bit of a mug.

“It’s great now to be sitting here and