Named in Ireland's squad for the 2010 Six Nations Championship, Ryan made his Six Nations debut against Italy on 6 February 2010 as a replacement. He made another replacement appearance against France on 13 February, but did not feature in the rest of the tournament. He missed out on selection for Ireland's 2010 Summer Tour, but was back for Ireland during the 2010 November Tests and made appearances off the bench against South Africa and Samoa.