James Ryan joined Off The Ball on Wednesday before he joined the rest of the players at Ireland training camp to prepare for the Autumn Cup.
As one of several players namechecked by Warren Gatland as a potential Lions captain, the Leinster lock says leadership has not been a natural journey for him.
"It's something I haven't always been comfortable doing, speaking in front of groups. It's something I have developed over the last couple of years," Ryan told Off The Ball as Aldi's newest Rugby for Schools ambassador.
"Certainly at Leinster, Stuart Lancaster has been great for the group and so has Andy Farrell with Ireland. They encourage lads to find their voice and to arrive at meetings with a point of view.
"The more people you can get being themselves and coming out of their shells the more benefit we will get as a group.
"I've always felt more natural leading on the pitch through actions. The talking role has, I would like to think, developed a bit more over the last few years by being in environments like Leinster and Ireland."
James Ryan impact
Whether it is natural or learned, James Ryan's impact as a leader has been felt on the team as a lineout caller, with many expecting the second row to take over the skipper's role from Sexton.
Ireland's crucial decision just before half time in Paris to kick for the corner was a process Ryan was involved in and thinks was the right one.
"Johnny's captain, but it wasn't just his decision. He consulted me and I said 'yeah, let's go for it.' We spoke all week about having to attack these days," confirmed the second row.
"We had gone for goal twice and rugby is a game that's all about feel. At that stage, we just said 'let's go for it.'
"We knew we were going to have to score tries against France because they were going to score some, so we went for it.
"Those decisions have gone our way in the past, but they didn't this time. It was a pity we didn't go in with the try, if we had gone in with three points, it would have helped but I don't think it's the winning and losing of the game."
Missed Opportunity
If that moment was not the losing of the game, then what was?
"The whole game was a missed opportunity really, suggested Ryan who still found plenty of positives.
"We just need to be a bit more clinical I think. One positive from the game is we are creating a lot of opportunities.
"We were creating those opportunities because of pressure, whether that was getting after France on a restart or an effective kick-chase or getting over the ball.
"We are putting pressure on and creating opportunities as a result. The next piece is now converting those opportunities, that's the game.
"It's something we'll have to look at, because at this level if you are not taking your opportunities when you get into the opposition's 22, you are making it very hard for yourself."
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