FtD wrote: ↑May 23rd, 2023, 10:46 am
Andrew Porter spoke on this topic specifically in an interview last week - he mentions that one of the first times he ever met Stuart Lancaster that at the time he was 128kg. Said his first year at U20s he was 113kg and in his second season he was 130kg.
He said Lancaster said to him "If you can do my sessions at that weight then fine, but I think you're going to struggle" - so it's a clear indication that Leinster favour mobility over pure bulk and power. Porter says his optimum weight now is 114kg - 116kg.
Hadn't heard that. Interesting, but not surprising.
I think there's more to it, btw, than just favouring mobility. We have a system that's built around multiple options for multiple phases in attack and bouncing back to your feet and into the line in defence. A player who can't maintain the pace is a gap. You can't stretch defences if they don't have to respect multiple options.
FtD wrote: ↑May 23rd, 2023, 2:47 pm
The guy I'd love to know more about how his development is going is Rory McGuire. He looks to have good size and was effective for the Irish 20s, but injuries seem to have stalled his development since then. Anyone any sense as to how he's coming along?
I have only seen him once for UCD. According to those that know his play, he is all the size you could wish for but not the grit. Quite far from it unfortunately.
I'm wondering is it a mistake to pass on Ben Griffin. He sounds like an excellent scrummager and has got good size (it says here he's 127kg https://www.irishrugby.ie/2023/05/05/en ... team-news/). It's not too difficult to imagine him getting up into the 130-135kg range, which is where the La Rochelle props are mostly at.
Do all tightheads in the squad have to be of the same athletic profile? Or would it be better to have different types of players in some cases for horses-for-courses selections? Would a Carlu Sadie make it if he was in the Leinster system?
Is Temi Lasisi - a converted loosehead who appears to have issues with his scrummaging - really going to be a better option in a big final in a few years when he's developed than a player who can steady the scrum?
FtD wrote: ↑May 23rd, 2023, 2:47 pm
The guy I'd love to know more about how his development is going is Rory McGuire. He looks to have good size and was effective for the Irish 20s, but injuries seem to have stalled his development since then. Anyone any sense as to how he's coming along?
I have only seen him once for UCD. According to those that know his play, he is all the size you could wish for but not the grit. Quite far from it unfortunately.
Very interesting - I'd heard similar things on him before when he was younger and still in Blackrock, but had presumed he'd solved some of those issues by how successful he was since. It's not a trait you want to hear about in a tight head prop.
FtD wrote: ↑May 23rd, 2023, 10:46 am
Andrew Porter spoke on this topic specifically in an interview last week - he mentions that one of the first times he ever met Stuart Lancaster that at the time he was 128kg. Said his first year at U20s he was 113kg and in his second season he was 130kg.
He said Lancaster said to him "If you can do my sessions at that weight then fine, but I think you're going to struggle" - so it's a clear indication that Leinster favour mobility over pure bulk and power. Porter says his optimum weight now is 114kg - 116kg.
Hadn't heard that. Interesting, but not surprising.
I think there's more to it, btw, than just favouring mobility. We have a system that's built around multiple options for multiple phases in attack and bouncing back to your feet and into the line in defence. A player who can't maintain the pace is a gap. You can't stretch defences if they don't have to respect multiple options.
