Jack is back, but then again, he’s never really been away. Dynamic, skilful and physical, were it not for a generational player like Caelan Doris he would walk into the Irish side, as he would for most teams.So it is that he started all three Lions’ Tests for the second series in a row last summer and in the absence of the unfortunate Doris, once again Ireland are fortunate to have him.Helpfully, Doris and Conan can always be accommodated in either the same backrow or the match-day 23, but their mutual respect and friendship is striking.“There’s always a shared ethos about leadership here, whether it’s through your words or your actions,” said Conan, who said he and the squad are “gutted to lose Caelan”.“Everyone misses him. He’s such a good fella. A great player. I think the senior leadership group has had to step up in a different way because you’ve lost your captain. Not that it’s anything new for Dan [Sheehan]. He’s done it before on a few occasions. I think he relishes that role anyway. We’re trying to spread the weight of it a little bit. It’s not all on his shoulders.”Despite previous experiences of touring, including Australia last year, Conan admits “the jet lag is killing me”, but Sydney’s famed coffee shops and early opening hours have been a blessing. The dynamics of any squad and any tour are unique in their own right. Conan frequently used the word “excited” about renewing acquaintances with former team-mates and building friendships with new ones, as well as the challenges of being in an Irish camp. “Nothing’s ever given here, so you have to earn it the whole time. You need to be trying hard and performing well. It’s an exciting time to be here.“I said to Faz [Andy Farrell] when I rocked in, I was like, you’ve blinked, a year’s gone by and we’re back in this hotel. It seems a bit mental. But I think coming into camp gives everyone a lift.”Jack Conan during the second test for the Lions against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on July 26th, 2025. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images One notable absentee, of course, is James Lowe. “It’s definitely a bit quieter. Big Jimmy’s a big personality, as you all know. He makes himself seen and heard pretty early on. James is a good mate of mine, we’re next-door neighbours. We spend a lot of time together, both on and off the pitch. You miss him around the place. “He’s a good man, firstly. He brought a lot to the environment and to the jersey when we played. It’s disappointing how it played out, but it is what it is. I know he’ll be looking on and supporting us.”Of some consolation for Conan and Leinster was sending off Lowe and others with another URC title, although missing out on the big one again still rankles. “I think any year you finish with a trophy can never be deemed unsuccessful. We’re obviously reaching for other heights. I think if we’d just performed better that day [in the Champions Cup final] in Bilbao, maybe there’d be a different twist on it. I think the most disheartening bit was the fact that we never really fired a shot when we got out there. “Was the season a success? Yes, because you get a bit of silverware, but for the players and staff that we had, we should have at least made a better account for ourselves on the big day over there. That was tough to take.”[ Gordon D’Arcy: This tour could be the most useful thing to happen to Irish rugby in two yearsOpens in new window ]Now comes a new competition, although Conan maintains: “In Test rugby, there’s no friendlies per se. We’re here to be at our best and to perform and to do right by the rest of the group and the jerseys.“I don’t think the league format has changed anyone’s mindset about coming down here and performing. We know we need to be on it fresh out the gate come Saturday because we’re playing against a good side.”Conan is also taking the Lions’ Test series as an altogether more relevant barometer than Ireland’s convincing win at home last November.“They had some unbelievable periods of play throughout the three Tests and they’re not a side you can take lightly. Joe [Schmidt] would know us very well and some of the players in the group. It’s not going to be easy. There’s quality all across the park and some unbelievable athletes. You see them score tries out of nothing. We need to be on it from moment one.”