Jack Conan is hitting form at just the right time.
Leinster are the first Irish side to reach the quarter finals of this season’s Champions Cup and Conan played a huge part in getting them there.
The 24-year-old back-row scored his first ever professional rugby hat-trick in Leinster’s 57-3 walloping of Montpellier at the RDS. He also set up Adam Byrne for his try, made 15 carries for 87 metres, delivered clean breaks, support lines, turnovers and made seven tackles.
Not a bad outing and decent timing too as Joe Schmidt names his Ireland team next weekend. Conan made his Ireland debut in 2015 but injuries hindered further Test appearances last year.
Conan’s first try was all down to Isa Nacewa’s brilliance. All he had to do was follow the Fijian and gas home from the twenty-two.
He chipped in with two more after the break and won a richly deserved man of the match award.
Following the match, Conan revealed his last hat-trick was probably scored in his lock days at St Gerard’s.
As for the three scores, Conan’s descriptions could not have been more modest:
“Isa did most of the work for the first one. I pretty much fell over for the second and if I hadn’t got over for the third one I would have been shot.
“Look, it has been a long time since I got three tries but I was happy to get the nod and start. The tries were an added bonus.”
With Sean O’Brien expected to be fully fit for next weekend’s away trip to Castres, Conan has given his coach one of those good problems.
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