The search for Ireland's Next Model Prop needs to start now, says Brendan Grehan
GOOD front-row forwards are a bit like the number 5 Dublin Bus, catch one and you don't get off, safe in the knowledge that you didn't have to walk down Mount Merrion Avenue. And so Ireland moves from one front-row crisis to another. For years, we said prayers for John Hayes' good health and now Mike Ross is the man who we cannot afford to have injured.
People talk about a “front-row crisis” but the reality is that it has always been like this. Now in the professional era, it is that bit more acute.
We are not going to go back to the days of 1986 when a London Irish prop was thrown into Twickenham like a Christian at feeding time at the Colloseum. At least we hope that is the case.
It remains to be seen in if the mandarins of Lansdowne Road have got a body for the National scrum coach position. A source intimated to me last night that it isn't really a problem in that there are scrum coaches in each of the provinces.
He conceded that it won't happen overnight. An ideal situation would be to have a number of loose and tight-heads in each province, all straining at the bit to do some justice to the jersey. But this isn't Cordoba, St Jean-de-Luz or the Venetian plain and for whatever reason, we just don't produce reams of good props.
It might be because at schools and junior club level, they are positions that players end up in. They might have dreamed of being the flying open-side, storming down the flank of a packed Donnybrook while gaggles of schoolgirls fidget in their sailing shoes. It isn't a particularly glamorous position but especially in Argentinian rugby, props are feted and young players want to be at the fulcrum of the scrum.
Back in the 80's there was a Argentinean prop with the splendid name of Serafin Dengra. He had a mane of wavy Mick-Wallace like blond hair and was always taking the ball on. He went to Italy and thus kissed his international career goodbye.
Now with props like Cian Healy appearing on both the middle and back pages of newspapers, things could be changing. I hear that Leinster's Jamie Hagan has a very vocal fan club.
All these positive vibes could be channeled into something more lasting if the IRFU were to take the initiative and start a campaign to get young players into the front-row. Last year, we had a campaign looking for line-out players. They should do the same for the front-row.
A nationwide campaign looking for props could be allied to roadshows with current international players and coaches carrying out clinics on techniques.
A frequent criticism of rugby in the past was that there was very little coaching for front-row players save for the elite level. Players were thrown into the front row and sank or swam. Hopefully this isn't the case anymore. There are a number of ex-props, Des Fitzgerald, Phil Orr, Emmett Byrne, who could be brought on by the IRFU to lead this campaign.
The RFU had a 'prop search' programme a few years ago. There is no reason why it should not be done here. Of course if Ireland's greatest scrum coach, Roly Meates, had not been sidelined for so many years, our front row crop would be in a much healthier state.
Twitter: @brendanxavier
© Brendan Grehan
