IRFU Player Contract Policy Agreed To Aid Development Of Irish-Qualified Players

[Peat]

For the Wolfhounds he did have to turn to a non-starting prop for tighthead, there's only 2 starting most weeks in Ireland, and Andress and Buckley wouldn't have been released for this game as its outside the IRB window. All your other options are non-starters (Deccie Fitz is injured too).

However, so what slightly. The best they're going to get is three, which isn't wildly good, and props rotate more often than most positions. England and Italy will both start with a tighthead that rotates. As noted, they get the gametime.

Thankyou for reminding me of the absolute madness that is Loughney and Archer ahead of Hagan though.

 

[snoopy snoopy dog dog]

For the Wolfhounds he did have to turn to a non-starting prop for tighthead, there's only 2 starting most weeks in Ireland, and Andress and Buckley wouldn't have been released for this game as its outside the IRB window. All your other options are non-starters (Deccie Fitz is injured too).

That's something which I think is becoming less relevant for props, hookers and scrum halves. I'm often said I like the French model whereby those positions have one guy who gives everything for 50-60 minutes and then a replacement of equal standard is brought on to crank it up for the rest of the game. Leinster are heading in that direction too where Healy/van der Merwe, Strauss/Cronin and Boss/Reddan split time almost equally. They're trying to do the same with Ross and Hagan/White. You've got 1a and 1b in each position and no out and out starting player. I'd like to see it get to a stage whereby 5 or 6 of the 8 "first choice" tighthead props in Leinster, Ulster, Munster and Connacht are Irish or Ireland qualified.

What I really dislike about this proposal is that it says in not so many words that only Leinster, Ulster and Munster are charged with supplying players for the Ireland team. It doesn't matter if there's an awesome tighthead playing for Connacht, in England, in France or elsewhere since they're not covered by this scheme. Taking an extreme example with Tony Buckle. He was terrible for Munster for years yet still got selected in every Ireland squad. He's playing a little bit better for Sale yet because he's no longer in one of the three big Irish provinces, he's no longer viewed as a serious option! That's crazy in my eyes. I wouldn't have Buckle in the Ireland team but I'd certainly rate both him and Hagan ahead of Loughney and Archer. It remains to be seen if Buckle is called up for any 6 Nations game.

That said, the Wolfhounds is a joke and the standard they perform at won't be higher than what the provinces produce week in, week out in the league and cup.

 

[Peat]

I don't disagree at all with your there, as my second paragraph notes; I was just enjoying being pedantic.

However, the very fact that increasingly you need the 1a and 1b model, shows how misguided this is for props. If the top provinces are to stay competitive at HC level, then there needs to be 12 top level props, the majority of them Irish, and that seems like a massive ask at the moment. The travails of Fitzpatrick also shows that more gametime alone isn't enough; he's got 60 senior appearances now and while I do rate him, I'm not sure he's good enough for what Ulster want to be, nevermind Ireland.

edit: Personally I've always enjoyed the Saxons-Wolfhounds game and while the intensity isn't as high as the HC, the environment and challenges are different, and I still think A level rugby is worthwhile.

edit edit: Who, Schmidt and McGahan are meeting to discuss an alternative proposal...