Loosehead Prop going forward

[mildlyinterested]

Leinster underage loosehead props playing pro rugby:

Cian Healy(33/Belvedere-Clontarf) - irish camp(Leinster)
Jack McGrath(31/St. Marys-St. Marys) - injured(Ulster)
Ed Byrne(27/Carlow-Clongowes-UCD) - irish camp(Leinster)
Peter Dooley(26/Birr-Lansdowne) - starting loosehead(Leinster)
Eric O'Sullivan(25/Templeogue-St Marys) - starting loosehead(Ulster)
Jeremy Loughman(25/Athy-Blackrock) - bench looshead(Munster)
Jordan Duggan(23/Newbridge-Naas) - starting looshead(Connacht)
Michaels Milne(22/Birr-Roscrea) - injured(Leinster)
Charlie Ward(21/Tullow-Clontarf) - Connacht academy
Marcus Hanan(20/Clane-Old Belvedere) - bench(Leinster)

[Morf]

Ah Mildy - if you have Loughman as Athy and Ward for Tullow you can't leave Co Carlow FC out for Ed Byrne.

[mildlyinterested]

Ah Mildy - if you have Loughman as Athy and Ward for Tullow you can't leave Co Carlow FC out for Ed Byrne.

debated it but last time Byrne played for Carlow he was what? 12?

Loughman played for Athy until he was 16, Ward for tullow until he was 18.

[OTT]

Is Charlie Connolly still going?

[riocard911]

Ah Mildy - if you have Loughman as Athy and Ward for Tullow you can't leave Co Carlow FC out for Ed Byrne.

debated it but last time Byrne played for Carlow he was what? 12?

Loughman played for Athy until he was 16, Ward for tullow until he was 18.

Decisions, decisions.... LOL!!!

[mildlyinterested]

Is Charlie Connolly still going?

forgot about him.. still listed with Houston

[mildlyinterested]

great to see a player so delighted to make debut:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vSZguj ... terRugbyTV

[mildlyinterested]

18 year old loosehead prop Jack Boyle trained with Leinster seniors today.

[Oldschool]

great to see a player so delighted to make debut:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vSZguj ... terRugbyTV

Big lad!

[mildlyinterested]

Leinster's likely loosehead prop depth chart next season:

Cian Healy(33/Belvedere/Clontarf)
Ed Byrne(28/Clongowes/UCD)
Peter Dooley(27/Birr RFC/Lansdowne)
Michael Milne(22/Birr RFC-Roscrea/UCD)

Marcus Hanan(21/Clane RFC/Old Belvedere) - Academy Yr 2
Jack Boyle(19/St. Michaels/UCD) - Academy Yr 1

[ronk]

Happy with that. If Healy fades a bit he’ll play less for Ireland and more for us so it will balance out.

[mildlyinterested]

Michael Milne has been promoted to senior squad.

https://twitter.com/leinsterrugby/statu ... 90248?s=20

If Andrew Porter does move across as it's speculated, you'd wonder what would happen with Byrne/Dooley.

[Oldschool]

It's likely Healy will still be involved with Ireland next season with the RWC a maybe.
The issue for both Ireland is a lack of depth at LH.
Moving Porter to LH would be robbing Peter to pay Paal and as another poster has pointed out TH is game changing position.
Not having a good TH can lose you a game whereas a LH can be shored up to an extent. So Porter is staying put.
Outside Leinster and Kilcoyne how are we fixed. James Cronin should have been pushing Healy but his discipline has been a problem.
Leinster's Byrne and Dooley are probably the next two LHs in the country which is going to leave Leinster short at both LH and TH.
If Healy doesn't make it to the RWC we could still need him until post RWC here in Leinster, most likely off the bench.
You're left wondering why. Why are Leinster hugely outperforming the other provinces in terms of depth starting at academy level.
Is it just a numbers game or is it the quality of coaching at underage levels or.....?????

[mildlyinterested]

the other provinces nearly all have props from leinster both at loose and tight.. it's down to coaching..

[backrower8]

It's likely Healy will still be involved with Ireland next season with the RWC a maybe.
The issue for both Ireland is a lack of depth at LH.
Moving Porter to LH would be robbing Peter to pay Paal and as another poster has pointed out TH is game changing position.
Not having a good TH can lose you a game whereas a LH can be shored up to an extent. So Porter is staying put.
Outside Leinster and Kilcoyne how are we fixed. James Cronin should have been pushing Healy but his discipline has been a problem.
Leinster's Byrne and Dooley are probably the next two LHs in the country which is going to leave Leinster short at both LH and TH.
If Healy doesn't make it to the RWC we could still need him until post RWC here in Leinster, most likely off the bench.
You're left wondering why. Why are Leinster hugely outperforming the other provinces in terms of depth starting at academy level.
Is it just a numbers game or is it the quality of coaching at underage levels or.....?????

I think you are wrong there.

Leinster will be sorted with Healy/Porter/Dooley/Byrne at LH and Furlong/Alaalatoa/Abdaladze/Clarkson at TH.

Ireland, however, have just three international class props, one of whom is near the end as an international starter - 1 more year max.

The strategy is to at least have two world-class props at LH & TH starting matches and playing 56-60 minutes of all our tier 1 games - before worrying about who is coming on for the last shift either side.

Once Cian winds down/finishes as an Ireland starter, there is no point having both your remaining international standard props on the TH side while your scrum is breaking down on the LH side. There is a very good chance that Porter can switch and that we can have both him and Furlong play 55-60 minutes with Healy doing 20-25 off the bench at LH and hopefully O'Toole/Clarkson/Abdaladze/Knox can be developed for the other side (with Ryan/Bealham available to bridge the gap). It is all a risk for Ireland, but waiting for Healy to keel over and hoping that Ed Byrne/Dooley/O'Sullivan can hack it as starters seems to be the greater risk.

We will see.

[ronk]

Healy has longer than John Ryan. You play 2 tightheads every game.

Dooley and Byrne are decent international level pros. Take away Furlong or Porter and tighthead becomes a worry for Ireland. I'm more confident in them than I am in O'Toole and Knox.

If Ireland want a world class loosehead they can go fix Jack McGrath. Probably easier than turning Porter into one.

[mildlyinterested]

Jack Mc's days as a world class prop are over unfortunately.

[ronk]

Jack Mc's days as a world class prop are over unfortunately.

So are Andrew Porters, as a loosehead

[backrower8]

Healy has longer than John Ryan. You play 2 tightheads every game.

Dooley and Byrne are decent international level pros. Take away Furlong or Porter and tighthead becomes a worry for Ireland. I'm more confident in them than I am in O'Toole and Knox.

If Ireland want a world class loosehead they can go fix Jack McGrath. Probably easier than turning Porter into one.

You play 4 props in every game.

Dooley and Byrne are placeholders in an international context.

Tadhg can play longer minutes and Ryan and Bealham (about the same level as Dooley and Byrne) will take the strain until O'Toole, Knox come through.

I think Mildly is right about Jack Mc.

[mildlyinterested]

Jack Mc's days as a world class prop are over unfortunately.

So are Andrew Porters, as a loosehead

you seem convinced, not sure Andy Farrell agrees with you though.

we will have to wait and see, for me i'd be disappointed to see it happen but I wouldn't be surprised.