Top young front rows in Ireland(TH Prop)

bayern

1. Tom O'Toole(22/Ulster)
2. Jack Aungier(22/Connacht)
3. Keynan Knox(21/Munster)
4. Roman Salanoa(23/Munster)
5. Tom Clarkson(20/Leinster)

A mixture of power athletes with work to do in the scrum: TOT & Salanoa. Strong scrummagers but not notably big power athletes in the loose(Aungier & Clarkson) and a mix of both(Knox)

Notably that three of the 5 have been brought in from abroad and the other two are from Leinster.

TOT - Australia
Knox - South Africa
Salanoa - Hawaii

Other young tightheads contracted by the provinces:

Greg McGrath(23/Leinster)
James French(22/Munster)

Get this sense this isn't that strong a group? Any of them have potential to be a Furlong or even a Porter?

And TO'T is Irish tbf, even if he grew up in Aus.

bayern

Harper Bewildered Tux wrote: »

Get this sense this isn't that strong a group? Any of them have potential to be a Furlong or even a Porter?

And TO'T is Irish tbf, even if he grew up in Aus.

Agree on TOT, just that he isn't a product of the irish system really.

Hard to call on potential, think it's a decently strong group compared to say 5 years ago.

sydthebeat

bayern wrote: »

Agree on TOT, just that he isn't a product of the irish system really.

Hard to call on potential, think it's a decently strong group compared to say 5 years ago.

He's back in Ireland since he was 16... So I'd suggest the Irish system is just as responsible for his development as queensland

bayern

sydthebeat wrote: »

He's back in Ireland since he was 16... So I'd suggest the Irish system is just as responsible for his development as queensland

it's arguable to me, He was already a highly though of prospect while in australia and was targeted and recruited by IRFU/Ulster due to that potential. He didn't develop into a prospect in ulster, he arrived there as one.

sydthebeat

bayern wrote: »

it's arguable to me, He was already a highly though of prospect while in australia and was targeted and recruited by IRFU/Ulster due to that potential. He didn't develop into a prospect in ulster, he arrived there as one.

exactly, he was a prospect of a test level player.....

i dare say his involvement with ulster and ireland 18s, 19s and 20s turned him into one.

bayern

sydthebeat wrote: »

exactly, he was a prospect of a test level player.....

i dare say his involvement with ulster and ireland 18s, 19s and 20s turned him into one.

He had the potential to be an international due to his physical ability since he was recruited from Australian rugby. Obviously the coaching he has received has helped him reach his current level but he still had to be brought in from outside ireland and is not a natural produce of the ulster underage system.

sydthebeat

bayern wrote: »

He had the potential to be an international due to his physical ability since he was recruited from Australian rugby. Obviously the coaching he has received has helped him reach his current level but he still had to be brought in from outside ireland and is not a natural produce of the ulster underage system.

100% agreed, and not at all what I was arguing

He's back in Ireland since he was 16... So I'd suggest the Irish system is just as responsible for his development as queensland

Dubinusa

Seems a little bare to me. I don't see a Furlong type in this group. I suppose Aungier and O'Toole would be the best bets. Clarkson turns 21 soon, so plenty of time for him to develop. We do seem to have problems developing tight heads.

Lost Ormond

Dubinusa wrote: »

Seems a little bare to me. I don't see a Furlong type in this group. I suppose Aungier and O'Toole would be the best bets. Clarkson turns 21 soon, so plenty of time for him to develop. We do seem to have problems developing tight heads.

The next option doesnt need/have to be a Furlong type. He's world best level. Not completely realistic for the next option to also be at that level.
I dont see it as too bare. What would you change if you think there is issues at developing tight heads?
At what level you see problems?

bayern

Lost Ormond wrote: »

The next option doesnt need/have to be a Furlong type. He's world best level. Not completely realistic for the next option to also be at that level.
I dont see it as too bare. What would you change if you think there is issues at developing tight heads?
At what level you see problems?

Given Munster haven't developed a pro 14 standard tighthead in nearly half a decade or maybe longer.. i'd say there is an issue.

Ulster aren't much better.

Dubinusa

It's the numbers! 2 of the prospects aren't Irish. Over the past years we've seen Heffernan fail to make it, Conan O'Donnell, Charlie Connolly and others. Not a good return.

sydthebeat

Furlong is 28, Porter is 25.
TOT has a high ceiling and Clarkson is getting great experience with leinster.

We're well stocked for high level THs for he next five years, injury permitting.

The next big thing could only be 17 of 18 yo at this stage.

FrannoFan

Vakh Abdalaz looked a player as well.
pity about injury for him

porter only 25.

madds

sydthebeat wrote: »

The next big thing could only be 17 of 18 yo at this stage.

There's a young lad in Barnhall (Colin Byrne) who trialled for the U15 Metro Dev squad in early 2019, and was then moved up to the 16s after impressing. He quickly was made captain of that team. In late 2019 he was brought into the U19 squad and made a couple of appearances at TH. He's still only 16. Fingers crossed his development won't have been hampered too much over the last 10 months.

bayern

That is very young, but yeah hopefully all the young players across the country don't lose out due to this covid disaster.

Slightly older TH prospects to watch in Leinster:

Sam Illo(Wesley/U20)
Ben Griffin(Castleknock/U20)
Shane Connolly(Roscrea/U20)
Rory McGuire(Blackrock/U19)
Ben Popplewell(Wexford/U19)
George Hadden(Gorey/U18)
Dylan Rogan(Michaels/U18)
Gerhard Zdunek(Temple Carrig/U18)

elsewhere:

Oscar Egan(Ulster/U20)
Paddy McAlpine(Ulster/U20)
Darragh McSweeney(Munster/U18)
Joseph Mawhinney(Ulster/U18)

Paul Smeenus

Not doing centres/wings/FB, Bayern?

bayern

Paul Smeenus wrote: »

Not doing centres/wings/FB, Bayern?

was meant to get around to it this week but been busy.

Maybe tomorrow.

Paul Smeenus

bayern wrote: »

was meant to get around to it this week but been busy.

Maybe tomorrow.

"... I'll wanna settle down,
Until tomorrow, I'll just keep moving on."

Dubinusa

Who's Greg McGrath?

bayern

Dubinusa wrote: »

Who's Greg McGrath?

squad TH prop leinster brought in from the AIL.