James Ryan has no intention of trying to emulate Johnny Sexton's leadership style when he takes the captain's role for Ireland’s clash against Argentina.

Skipper Sexton is out for up to six weeks after twisting his knee and ankle during the 29-20 victory over New Zealand last Saturday.

That means the 25-year-old Leinster lock will lead the team against the Pumas, who have never won against the hosts in Dublin.

Last month Ryan waxed lyrical about Sexton’s leadership qualities, saying that there’s a "pretty noticeable" difference at training between the times the Leinster out-half is there and when he’s absent.

That’s in reference to the 36-year-old former world player of the year’s rugby persona and the standards he demands from his team-mates.

Asked how the team can make up that deficit with Sexton out injured, Ryan told RTÉ Sport: "I suppose how we make it up is everyone else on the team stepping up a little bit.

"That’s why today and tomorrow are very important sessions for us. It’s not even down to us [the leadership group], it’s up to everyone to drive the standards, drive the energy.

"We shouldn’t be relying on Johnny, it’s an Ireland game this week, at home at the Aviva.

"Hopefully we’ll have a big crowd in. There’s going to be an opportunity as well for other guys coming in so.

"When he’s in it’s absolutely brilliant, but when he’s not there as well everyone’s got to step up and we’ve got to find our own voices.

"We can’t just be relying on him either, any opportunity you get to play for Ireland, you shouldn’t need extra motivation.

"I’m not too interested in giving a lad a bollocking or whatever else.

"I’m captain this week, but to be honest it doesn’t change a whole lot for me. I just want to get my own performance right. I think that’s the best way for me to lead.

"There are plenty of guys there that can drive those things on that side."

Ryan was first made captain for last November’s game against England and admitted that it took some time to get used to the role.

"I’ve enjoyed it," added Ryan

"Initially it did feel like a bit of a weight on my shoulders in some ways. It was hard not to if you look at it like that.

"It doesn’t actually change a whole lot for me during the week.

"There are a number of guys who are good in a leadership capacity. The advice Faz [head coach Andy Farrell] gave me when I was first captain was to be myself and to focus on my own game.

"That’s the best piece of advice I could have gotten so. That’s how I try to operate whenever I’m given the honour of captaining."

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Ryan, who will make his third appearance in three weeks next Sunday (2.15pm, live on RTÉ) and win his 40th cap, also reflected on last Saturday’s win over the All Blacks.

"We did [have that belief], yeah," he said.

"Even some of the performances this group has had… that England game and the French game when we went away during Covid, we knew we weren’t very far away.

"They were just little errors that were very costly.

"The performances that we have had more recently have given us a bit of belief and a bit of confidence.

"Obviously, the New Zealand game but you could argue that the Japanese performance [60-5] was probably an even better one.

"We had good performances over the summer and at the end of the Six Nations so we feel like we’re going pretty well.

"Having said that we have looked at the game and there is definitely a lot more that we can be better at if we want to judge the performance rather than the occasion.

"That was the good thing, we do feel like there is a lot more in us."

Earlier the IRFU confirmed that scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park would also miss out with a thigh injury, with fellow Leinster back Luke McGrath called up.

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