Jack McGrath Interview

[ronk]

Lads, I'm aware of the benefits of him being able to play both sides thanks! I just don't think he'll ever be any way decent at tighthead and foresee a situation in 3/4 years time where his game hasn't improved at all if he was to flick between both sides during that time as opposed being a really good loosehead in 2 years or so.

He'll learn more coming off the bench and playing tight head than he will being a loose head in the stands.

Some guys aren't really set up for switching. When he broke through Healy was strong but a bit too light for tighthead. It can be done, but you need to be very, very good technically to get by. Healy wasn't, he relied on power.

[BlueBlue]

Don't think he'll make it at international level...I can see him being farmed out to Connacht within a season or two. I wouldn't read too much into him being called in to observe the Irish squad during the 6 Nations either (and only in place of another hideously average early-twenties prop, Paddy McAllister). It's harsh on a young lad but he's not good enough

Sorry can't agree with that. In fact this attitude is part of the problem. Props need time and careful development in the right hands. The fact that IRFU rules won't allow real scrums till over 19 doesn't help.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Lads, I'm aware of the benefits of him being able to play both sides thanks! I just don't think he'll ever be any way decent at tighthead and foresee a situation in 3/4 years time where his game hasn't improved at all if he was to flick between both sides during that time as opposed being a really good loosehead in 2 years or so.

I think that's over the top LRIP – I don't see any reason why he shouldn't be able to play tighthead as well. There are a number of players out there who can cover both, like JB Poux, John Afoa, Owen Franks, Sylvain Marconnet, Matt Stevens, Freddie Pucciarello, Stan Wright etc. Why shouldn't an Irish guy be able to do it?

Ireland's problem is that we have used exactly the wrong sort of players in this role ... enormous guys like Buckley and Mushy who came very late to the propping position, and then were asked to play both sides! McGrath has been propping for his entire career [even if the schoolboy stuff is mickey-mouse in comparison] and has a much better build for it ... 13cm shorter than Mushy and only 10kg lighter.

I'm really confused as to how my point has been taken up. Having a guy who can play both sides is fantastic and some players can do it very well but I just don't think McGrath will/would be a good tighthead. I just think that him playing there would be a waste of time for all involved because he doesn't have the ability for it. I might be wrong but that's my take on it.

I'd be more inclined for McCallister and O'Connell to try and play both sides because they're better scrummagers imo. I can see McGrath's development going the way of Bryan Young if he was to attempt to play both sides. That's no disrespect to him, I think he's a really good prospect at loosehead and hope he stays there.

Not sure about ronks point about playing tighthead being better than being in the stands given that the competition at tighthead is much stronger at the moment. I doubt that taking a punt on experimenting with a guy would mean that he'd get to jump the queue. Yes gametime would be fantastic but if anything I'd envisage him getting less time in the short to medium term.

[hugonaut]

Lads, I'm aware of the benefits of him being able to play both sides thanks! I just don't think he'll ever be any way decent at tighthead and foresee a situation in 3/4 years time where his game hasn't improved at all if he was to flick between both sides during that time as opposed being a really good loosehead in 2 years or so.

I think that's over the top LRIP – I don't see any reason why he shouldn't be able to play tighthead as well. There are a number of players out there who can cover both, like JB Poux, John Afoa, Owen Franks, Sylvain Marconnet, Matt Stevens, Freddie Pucciarello, Stan Wright etc. Why shouldn't an Irish guy be able to do it?

Ireland's problem is that we have used exactly the wrong sort of players in this role ... enormous guys like Buckley and Mushy who came very late to the propping position, and then were asked to play both sides! McGrath has been propping for his entire career [even if the schoolboy stuff is mickey-mouse in comparison] and has a much better build for it ... 13cm shorter than Mushy and only 10kg lighter.

I'm really confused as to how my point has been taken up. Having a guy who can play both sides is fantastic and some players can do it very well but I just don't think McGrath will/would be a good tighthead. I just think that him playing there would be a waste of time for all involved because he doesn't have the ability for it. I might be wrong but that's my take on it.

I'd be more inclined for McCallister and O'Connell to try and play both sides because they're better scrummagers imo. I can see McGrath's development going the way of Bryan Young if he was to attempt to play both sides. That's no disrespect to him, I think he's a really good prospect at loosehead and hope he stays there.

Not sure about ronks point about playing tighthead being better than being in the stands given that the competition at tighthead is much stronger at the moment. I doubt that taking a punt on experimenting with a guy would mean that he'd get to jump the queue. Yes gametime would be fantastic but if anything I'd envisage him getting less time in the short to medium term.

I'm not sure there's any other way to take your point up.

You're being too dismissive of a guy who has an absolutely prototypical tighthead build – 183cm [6'] tall and 120kg [18st12lbs] – and has already spent a considerable bit of time there at 'A' level. Saying that "he doesn't have the ability for it"? Where's that come from? McGrath is a heavily built scrummaging prop, not a Marcus Horan-esque midfielder. He might lack some experience of scrummaging at TH – he does lack it – because he's only 22, but there's more evidence to suggest that he'd be a good dual-side prop than that he wouldn't be.

"I was always quietly confident that I could play both sides it was just a matter of getting a lucky break to go there with Leinster and taking my chance which thankfully was the case, I got some positive feedback from the few games at tighthead I got at the start of this season particularly in the A games. So that was good but yeah I feel comfortable on both sides."

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I'm confused because my point was that I don't think he'll ever make a good tighthead but some of the points that followed were that a guy who can play both sides is very useful and why can't an Irish guy do it. They're not things that I argued against so don't know why they were brought up in relation to what I'd said.

We'll just have to agree to disagree on his potential as a tighthead. From what I've seen I don't see him being a good option there in the future and as I said I think that trying to develop him there could be detrimental to his loosehead development. I'd love if I was wrong (and have been wrong many times before...Hines being a bad signing being my worst one) but that's the way I see it.

[christy]

Just on the topic of Tight Head props does anyone have any info on Stewart Maguire according to the pro 12 site he has only made 3 substitute appearances(54 mins in total ) for Connacht. I think another year or two in the Leinster academy working with Greg Feek would have been the better option for him in the long term (no disrespect for Connachts coaches but Feek is Ireland's and the European Champions scrum coach ).

[goreyguy]

some interesting reading considering his progress and where he play this weekend for Ireland

[cormac]

some interesting reading considering his progress and where he play this weekend for Ireland

Hoping this weekend is just a one-off experience due to the pre-tour injury list and the absolute crapness of Rodney Ah You at this level.

[goreyguy]

kind of agree... although if he can really play TH to a high standard it would be interesting..dont think he can though

[Dave Cahill]

some interesting reading considering his progress and where he play this weekend for Ireland

Hoping this weekend is just a one-off experience due to the pre-tour injury list and the absolute crapness of Rodney Ah You at this level.

I don't think Rodney was cr@p, just not fit enough. The latter can be fixed, the former, not so much.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Could Rodney be Stan Wright 2.0?

I'm a big fan of his ability, just needs to get fit. He's been here so long now that I can't see it happening but my one hope is that being with Ireland is a turning point.

P.s. reading this thread back, it still annoys me.

[ronk]

Could Rodney be Stan Wright 2.0?

I'm a big fan of his ability, just needs to get fit. He's been here so long now that I can't see it happening but my one hope is that being with Ireland is a turning point.

P.s. reading this thread back, it still annoys me.

Rodney can scrummage, so he has potential.

He's young, and scrummaging props often develop late. Comparison with Stan is interesting. Even after he came it seemed to take a 2nd spurt of high work rate for Stan to really hit top form. Took a while for Declan Fitz to develop, Ross's career only really started at an older age than Ah You.

He's got a taste and know understands the reward, it's up to him now to decide he wants to work for it.

Will he start Lions tests, probably not. But it's a numbers game. There just aren't that many tighthead in Ireland in his age bracket. 3 years down the line he could be a valuable squad member. He's on tour ahead of Bent.

[Darce]

Ah You has been here 3 years.

If fitness was an issue, it should have been sort by now. Its not exactly a Stan Wright off the plane situation...

Jack Mc will go fine. Not great but fine

[AwayTheWell]

Ah You has been here 3 years.

Seem to recall there were issues about Jamie Hagan's fitness levels when he returned to Leinster from Connacht as well.
Also, Ah You and some Connacht colleagues who may not have expected International call-ups may have had an earlier wind down to their end of season compared to players from the three semi-finalists.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

Ah You has been here 3 years.

If fitness was an issue, it should have been sort by now. Its not exactly a Stan Wright off the plane situation...

Jack Mc will go fine. Not great but fine

Ah You said himself that he only knuckled down when Lam came on board, that was after two years of coasting. I do agree that it's highly unlikely that he'll ever get his act together but the fact that he put the head down enough to be considered for Ireland at all this season and has now got a kick in the arse from Joe will either make him embrace the challenge of revert to his old ways. He's definitely at a crossroads.

[simonokeeffe]

Ah You has been here 4 years but he has accelerated his development under Lam

Indo quotes Joe as saying McGrath at TH was preplanned

[Cianostays]

I suppose given that Fitzpatrick has injury issues and Ah You's conditioning may never be up to the required level, we're still very light for reasonable Tightheads (Ross, Moore and Archer) so we need more options. Admittedly McGrath playing Tighthead would be a "break glass in case of emergency" option but we should see if it's a possibility.

[simonokeeffe]

I suppose given that Fitzpatrick has injury issues and Ah You's conditioning may never be up to the required level, we're still very light for reasonable Tightheads (Ross, Moore and Archer) so we need more options. Admittedly McGrath playing Tighthead would be a "break glass in case of emergency" option but we should see if it's a possibility.

we have Nathan White from the Autumn and Furlong to take over from Ross