THE BLACK EYE, the bumps and bruises on his legs, the right cauliflower ear freshly drained of blood.

Already, at just 21, James Ryan is showing the signs of becoming a grizzled second row as he takes a seat in one of the quieter old rooms in Carton House.

The Ireland international admits that he is beginning to get frustrated by the perceptions that he is an injury-prone player, and it should be pointed out that the speed of his rise has been quite rare.

Ryan has been impressive for Ireland. Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO

Whatever about outside backs being fast-tracked, the second row is a position in Test rugby that has increasingly been seen as one where players need maturity and time for their bodies to become used to the demands.

Ryan is different, having been capped by Joe Schmidt even before he had made his Leinster debut. That Ryan is having such an impact in the Six Nations so early in his career is deeply impressive.

And while others of his age might come across as wide-eyed and excitable if they were in his shoes, Ryan is extremely level-headed about it all. He stresses that he understands how fortunate he is, but he doesn’t feel he can waste time being emotional about it.

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“All I ever wanted to do is be a professional rugby player, since I could walk really,” says Ryan. “It has always been the dream