Props

Inis Eoghain

I was looking at the props playing for the provinces this weekend and was surprised with the number of young Irish lads involved, with the Irish squad down under i thought there would be a few non Irish props getting used. Ulster props Jerry Cronin and Paddy McCallister both looked good yesterday, Stephen Archer seemed solid enough for Munster tonight. I didn't see any of the Leinster game but know that Jamie Hagan started the game and both Jack McGrath and Jack O'Connell came on, Connacht had Ronan Loughrey starting and Denis Buckley on the Bench. This got me thinking so i checked the player profiles for each province and there seems to be plenty of youngster coming through, i know some are well into their 20's but props often develop late. Whats your views on the next crop of props coming through?


Ulster
Callum Black 25
Jerry Cronin 27
Paddy Mcallister 22
Adam Macklin 22
Conor Carey 24

Leinster
Jamie Hagan 23
Jack McGrath 22
Jack O'Connell 21

Munster
Stephen Archer 23
Darragh Hurley 26
John Ryan 23

Connacht
Ronan Loughrey 27
Denis Buckley 21

Hagz

Prop is a position where a lot of talent is coming through thankfully. Paddy McAllister looks very promising.And then Hagan and Healy are both very young for props. And the list goes on with fringe props like Archer, Buckley, Cronin, McGrath, Hurley, Maguire. Ryan etc.

But it's not just guys in their early 20's. There are an absolute heap of young props coming through the academies. In Leinster, Furlong looks the business at just 18, as do Moore, Tracy and Byrne. Then you have Conor Carey in Ulster as well.

Give it another season, and it should be a very competitive area. If only it was now:(

cartoonninja

Steward maguire and rodney ah you(think he qualifies?) at connacht
From the list above how many are THs and how many are LHs?
I think ireland need to start producing props that play both sides to a high level, because I honestly dont think Court or Buckley( cant play either) can play both sides internationally

LeeroyJones

First time in a long long time we've had such potential at prop. It's still only potential now as we've not seen them at H Cup/International level yet but signs are good so far. Law of averages would suggest we should get a handful making the grade at international level which is all we need.

Come WC 2015 Healy should still be loose but at 35 it'll be touch and go as to whether Ross will be still playing 80 mins week-in week-out. It will be interesting to see who puts pressure on, I'd imagine it will be from McAlister, Hagan or Archer but who knows!

I wonder if Jack McGrath might seek a move from Leinster. Healy and Ross will probably remain mainstays at Leinster with VDM/Hagan providing cover. It's hard to see where McGrath's opportunities will come aside from these few weeks during the WC.

CIARAN_BOYLE

VDM is in the last year of his conract. That said I suspect McGrath will leave and come maybe come back in a couple of years. Gametime would really do him better than being the 3rd choice LH at leinster

jacothelad

Inis Eoghain wrote: »

I was looking at the props playing for the provinces this weekend and was surprised with the number of young Irish lads involved, with the Irish squad down under i thought there would be a few non Irish props getting used. Ulster props Jerry Cronin and Paddy McCallister both looked good yesterday, Stephen Archer seemed solid enough for Munster tonight. I didn't see any of the Leinster game but know that Jamie Hagan started the game and both Jack McGrath and Jack O'Connell came on, Connacht had Ronan Loughrey starting and Denis Buckley on the Bench. This got me thinking so i checked the player profiles for each province and there seems to be plenty of youngster coming through, i know some are well into their 20's but props often develop late. Whats your views on the next crop of props coming through?


Ulster
Callum Black 25
Jerry Cronin 27
Paddy Mcallister 22
Adam Macklin 22
Conor Carey 24

Leinster
Jamie Hagan 23
Jack McGrath 22
Jack O'Connell 21

Munster
Stephen Archer 23
Darragh Hurley 26
John Ryan 23

Connacht
Ronan Loughrey 27
Denis Buckley 21

Conor Carey isn't 24, he is 19 I think. He played in this years U20 RWC. If you got the info from the Ulster site, be warned, it's riddled with nonsense.

Inis Eoghain

jacothelad wrote: »

Conor Carey isn't 24, he is 19 I think. He played in this years U20 RWC. If you got the info from the Ulster site, be warned, it's riddled with nonsense.

Yeah got it off the Ulster site, Irb website says he turns 20 at the end of the month. Think he was among the replacements on Friday night not sure if he got on though

jacothelad

Inis Eoghain wrote: »

Yeah got it off the Ulster site, Irb website says he turns 20 at the end of the month. Think he was among the replacements on Friday night not sure if he got on though

No. Neither he nor Macklin got on. At schools level, Macklin was so far ahead physically and skill-wise of any of his opponents in the School's Cup that MCB actually played him at 8. He is incredibly quick for a 18st 8lbs. guy. I think it would have been pretty dangerous for some of the guys at schools level to play against him. Sadly, as so often happens, ability at that level doesn't translate upwards. Being kind, he has looked pretty 'average' at Ulster. If he makes it, I'll be delighted. I'm not holding my breath though. It's possibly one of those things where maybe his best position is at 2 or even 6 given his freakish speed and size. who knows, maybe he'll become the tight head version of Healy.

shuffol

In fairness to Macklin he did miss virtually all of last season through injury.

Strangely enough its been Leinster who've had a virtual monopoly on the age grade props in recent years and the scrum has been fairly solid too considering the typical differences in pack weights against the bigger nations. Jack O'Connell, Jack Mcgrath, Stewart Maguire, Martin Moore, James Tracy and Tadhg Furlong have all looked impressive.