On Saturday, it’s quite likely that Cian Healy will earn a record 134th Ireland cap.
The 37-year-old would likely have done it earlier this year had he not missed the Rugby World Cup due to injury, and the reality of Ireland’s depth chart at that position means it’s very likely he will make a few more appearances into 2025 before a potential retirement in the summer.
There has been a scrutiny on Ireland’s lack of front row depth in the last couple of seasons, but in particular at loosehead, where Ireland are becoming overly reliant on Andrew Porter and Healy.
The lack of options on the left side of the scrum came into sharp focus during the summer when Porter and Healy were the only two out-and-out looseheads brought on tour to South Africa, with Andy Farrell willing to get tightheads Tom O’Toole or Finlay Bealham to provide cover if needed.
Since then, it’s a position that’s been under the microscope. At the top level, IRFU performance director David Humphreys has put a block on the provinces bringing in any more foreign front row signings, while the latest development is coming at underage level, where Irish Rugby are about to employ a coach who will specifically work with front row prospects around the country.
According to Ireland’s national scrum coach John Fogarty (below), the new coach’s role will be to come in and work with the National Talent Squad’s (NTS) front row players around the country, to help bridge the gap between schools rugby – where there are restrictions on how far teams can push in the scrum – and what they are exposed to in Under-20 and adult rugby.
“We’ve looked at below 20s, so 17s, 18s, 19s, a technical coach that will make his way around the country to identify players to assist him,” Fogarty said.
“I think that position is going to be a really good one for us to get our Under-20s guys ready. Sometimes Under-20s guys come into competition and they’re learning in competition.
“We want them to compete in competition, so it’s an important role for the IRFU in that NTS space with 17s, 18s, 19s, leading up to your 20s coach and I’ll be there from 20s onwards in and around the academies and we’ve got some good coaches around the country. So, we’re very aware of it and we’re putting pieces in place.”
As national scrum coach, Fogarty’s role goes beyond simply working with the senior Ireland squad, with the former Leinster hooker keeping a close eye across all levels of the senior game.
The 47-year-old had a hands-on role with Emerging Ireland on the tour of South Africa earlier this season, while he’s also keeping tabs on the Interpro ‘A’ series which started last weekend and will run over the course of the season.
Fogarty was also quick to stress the importance of the All-Ireland League, particularly as a means to put some manners on young props, hookers and second rows.
“It’s part of the pathway, it’s not seen as something outside it.”
“There’s lots of ‘A’ games on at the moment in the provinces which is great, and the AIL is there.
“The AIL is great for front five. It’s difficult, there’s some big, grizzly old players in the AIL.
“I’m watching all the ‘A’ stuff at the moment, Leinster played Connacht and they beat the s**t out of each other. It was great.
“So we need to create more opportunities for them through the provinces, nationally we need to create more opportunities, so we’ll see how we go over the next few months. The stock is there and we’ve confidence in it. We want to find game time and we want them to step up.”
Prior to going on the Emerging Ireland tour, Fogarty made a point of challenging the younger props and hookers in the squad to stand up and take their chances.
And while specifically talking about the options at loosehead, he insists the door is wide open for someone to make their mark.
“It’s very exciting. We went on an EI [Emerging Ireland] tour. Alex Usanov is someone that I was almost going, ‘Jesus, we’re playing against the Cheetahs and Force and how is this kid going to get on?’, and he did incredibly well.
“There’s been consistently some nice looseheads coming out of our 20s each year. getting them gametime is so important. The AIL is so important for them to learn on the move.
“We brought Jordan Duggan on that tour and we brought Jordan because we wanted to make sure he’s getting a nudge. Sometimes, players maybe they don’t believe they can make the step, maybe they don’t believe they’re on coaches’ minds.
“We’re not a huge country, we’re looking at every single loosehead that’s playing competitive rugby in the provinces. We’re watching very, very closely.
“Leinster have quite a few, Jack Boyle has been in camp with us and has done a great job. He’s been very competitive, I think he’s learning on the run and he’s someone that we’re excited about, he’s someone Leinster are excited about.
“Michael Milne is a guy we’ve had in camp before, and then there’s Tom O’Toole who we’ve explored and consistently went down the line of loose and tight.
“Mikey Milne competing hard, Jeremy Loughman, Jack Boyle, we’ll see what we do with Tom O’Toole; I don’t see looseheads and tightheads the same way anymore and why not?
“Jordan Duggan, like I said, down to Alex Usanov, Paddy McCarthy. There’s a good stock of players there, we need them playing rugby.”
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