Since the resumption of professional rugby on these shores in the middle of August, Leinster and Ireland second row James Ryan has been doing his best to step away from the news cycle surrounding Covid-19.

Despite a recommendation by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) that Ireland switch to Level Five of the Living with Covid plan — which would have brought a nationwide halt to sport across all codes in the country — the Government has instead opted to move the remaining 24 counties onto Level Three alongside Dublin and Donegal.

While Ryan (the great-grandson of the former Fianna Fáil minister of the same name) was paying attention to these latest developments, he is trying to avoid getting wrapped up in something that’s out of his control.

“For us, Leo made the point this morning [Monday] even. It’s a great opportunity to practise what’s in our own hands and to being present. With all these distractions it’s really important for us to focus on our prep in the days and the weeks ahead. Which can be hard at times, but as I said, I think it’s vital we do that,” Ryan remarked in a video call to journalists yesterday.

“It’s probably not too healthy to be checking the news every night, is it? I got myself in the habit of the first few months, probably like most people, checking the cases. How many cases are there, how many deaths. I think you can kind of get yourself caught up in an unhealthy habit there.

“I think just having a bit of time to step away from it is important, while obviously playing your own part. We’re obviously tested every week, which is important. Outside of that, we’ve just got to be responsible and make the right choices in terms of keeping our own personal bubbles and our contacts small. Because it’s obviously pretty widespread.”

Having played all six of their post-lockdown games to date at either the Aviva Stadium or the RDS, Leinster will end a near eight-month wait for an overseas fixture when they face Benetton in the second round of the new PRO14 season at Treviso on Saturday evening [kick-off 6.15pm, Irish time].

A league encounter with Ospreys in The Gnoll on February 21 was the last trip outside of Dublin for Leo Cullen’s side, and though it is an even longer gap to Ryan’s last away appearance for the province, he is looking forward to making the journey over to northern Italy.

“My last away game for Leinster was in Treviso as well [a Champions Cup pool stage victory on January 18]. It will even feel weird getting on a plane again. I’m enjoying the last few weeks so it’s all good. it’s exciting to be going away and playing again.”

In addition to echoing the sentiments of Ryan in relation to the imposing of restrictions — adopting the oft-repeated mantra of ‘controlling the controllables’ — Leinster backs coach Felipe Contepomi offered an update on the fitness of Ireland captain Jonathan Sexton.

The veteran fly-half was forced off in the 24th-minute of last Friday night’s bonus-point triumph over Dragons with a hamstring injury and is a confirmed absentee for the coming weekend. Without giving a precise date for his return to action, Contepomi is confident Sexton can lead Ireland into the concluding rounds of the delayed Six Nations Championship at the end of this month.

“It’s hard because I don’t want to give a timetable and then [people will] say, well, ‘Felipe says this’. But I think for the injury he has, he should be okay. He was taken off more as a precaution than really a serious injury that you could tell that he could be out for one, two, three or four weeks. I think he’ll be fine. Definitely,” Contepomi said.

“I think in his case, he’s a quick healer normally and he’s a guy who hasn’t got, touch wood, too many bad injuries in his career. He’s a guy that you can say is robust and hopefully he’ll be running completely fit for the internationals.”