Darragh Hurley for Ireland!

[dropkick]

Well maybe not this year but after the world cup. He has looked very solid in the ML games and Munsters scrum improved immensely when he came on yesterday. The best thing is he's only 21 which is very young for a prop. So maybe after the world cup next year himself and Horan will be battleing it out!


Not forgetting Timmy Ryan whois another who has great potential!

[Ruck]

As you say, not just yet, but it'll definitely happen if he keeps on developing at the rate he is currently. Fantastic player who didn't look at all out of his depth in the HEC. The green jersey beckons for this young fella for sure. He's a vast improvement on Mushy, Roche and McGovern and I reckon he'll certainly be pushing Marcus for a start within the next season or so.

[JoeyFantastic]

Bit early for these threads, but he looks good so far.

[The Crimson King]

Indeed, a bit early, but we definitely need to do what we're doing now, which is to bring him through cautiously. I always worry about too-fast physical development (often accompanied by a greatly shortened career) and POC described him as "a freak" in the gym, which is either a good or bad sign. Lord, I don't half like to hedge my bets, eh? smileys/lol.gifGood to see the lads rally round him as well.

[sewa]

Mc Govern still looks a decent player to me. DK seems to have great time for Roche aswell.

[Angus Axe]

He's young, and international front row duty is very physical. He needs a few more years to develop in the ML and HEC, to build his physcial strength, technique and experience.

[Daky]

He will make the Ireland front row sooner rather than later based on his performances to date - good to see him coming through and I would love to see more of him in the HC

[Drick]

should darragh start on saturday?<!-
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Agree with Sewa on McGovern, he's always looked the best of that 3 to me. Roche seemed to have improved his scrummaging when he was around last year. Not sure what the story is with Buckley though.


Biggest problem for Hurley for the time being is that he's up against the younger of the 2 props and one that has a huge open play game. If he could play TH as well he'd be better off as Hayes will need more time off in the coming 2-3 years as his career winds down.


Hurley definitely looks the best ofthe young props around. He looks solid and as he matures he'll get better so in 12-18 months he may be ready to start featuring in national squads.Considering the relative lack of good props westill have, (as combatlogo keeps telling us our props are s**te and they're the Ireland first choice props so everyone else must be truly dire), then the chance is there for him to really come through at that level as well.

[Angus Axe]

should darragh start on saturday?<!-
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I would say yes - he doesnt suffer froma dose ofthe red mist that le Puc suffers from. We need 15 Munster players on the pitch at all times.

[LLCOOLJ14]

Yea, this thread seems a bit soon,but this was talked about in Cardiff after the game also...I think mainly due to the lack of alternatives,taher than any1's informed opinion on him...


Ive only seen him play for munster, and to be fair ,he has looked good and not out of place....


Apparently he is a bit of a freakin the gym.....in a good way

[Daithi]

Great to see the young lad do well. Good general play, great work for the turnover, great scrumaging and looked very composed on the big stage in a very tough pool game.


He has arrived alright. Well done Darragh.

[Boxcari]

Bit early for these threads, but he looks good so far.





Definitely. It's not leinster or ospreyfans.com.


Butit'sgreat to see him going in the right direction all the same.

[Hakaman]

Folks, wasn't it a little over a season ago that we were nearly crappin' in our pants at the thought of Horan or Hayes getting injured? Then the arrival of Puchie and the emergence of Hurley (and in fairness, good points regarding McGovern and Roche), it's a set of positions we don't have so much worries for.


Good point regarding his ability to switch proping positons. I'm sure, with Munster, and probably Ireland's development structure, that they won't have investigated that posibility ..... God Bless my blind faith in believing in those structures.

[epaddy]

We will take him off your hands

[JoeyFantastic]

We will take him off your hands


Not likely, but I wonder will some fringe Leinster backs see the progress Hogan and Keogh have made and make the trip south? Sure it'd be a big step up in standard for them, but I reckon some could manage.


Anyhow, I thought Leinster had props coming through? Pity C &amp; K don't seem to rate any of the upcoming outhalves.

[epaddy]

We will take him off your hands


Not likely, but I wonder will some fringe Leinster backs see the
progress Hogan and Keogh have made and make the trip south? Sure it'd
be a big step up in standard for them, but I reckon some could manage.


Anyhow, I thought Leinster had props coming through? Pity C &amp; K don't seem to rate any of the upcoming outhalves.



Oh come on, the bright lights, the women, the fame and fortune etc

On the Leinster prop front eh so did us fans smileys/sad.gif



Lewis will move on next year if he has any sense, he wont get his game
for Leinster. Munster would be the obvious move but he turned it down
in the summer. Gary Brown would get into your squad and Munster backs
tend to have good defences so if you can coach him one of those he
would be a great player. Kearney is stuck between a rock and a hard
place. Does he wait for Hickie and Dempsey to retire(next two years or
so) or move on?

[JoeyFantastic]

Not just Kearney, but Armtiev and a few others too. look at Johnny Murphy, no where near as highly rated as some fringe Leinster players but still getting HEC experience becuase he had the ambition and resolve to move clubs. Kearney is in serious danger of having his career stall at a crucial time, just like Burke, Norton, Brown, or in a Munster context, Buckley, Keogh, Reddan, F. Murphy, Staunton, and most worryingly Manning?


It also worth reviewing the careers of Mike Ross and Mushy Buckley, both fringe players, one is now playing GP rugby week-in, week-out, the other is playing AIL. What ever about their respective merits as props, one's career certainly seems stronger.

[sewa]

We will take him off your hands


Not likely, but I wonder will some fringe Leinster backs see the progress Hogan and Keogh have made and make the trip south? Sure it'd be a big step up in standard for them, but I reckon some could manage.


Anyhow, I thought Leinster had props coming through? Pity C &amp; K don't seem to rate any of the upcoming outhalves.




Oh come on, the bright lights, the women, the fame and fortune etc
On the Leinster prop front eh so did us fans smileys/sad.gif

Lewis will move on next year if he has any sense, he wont get his game for Leinster. Munster would be the obvious move but he turned it down in the summer. Gary Brown would get into your squad and Munster backs tend to have good defences so if you can coach him one of those he would be a great player. Kearney is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Does he wait for Hickie and Dempsey to retire(next two years or so) or move on?



Lewis or Brown haven't the hunger to make it. You look at guys like Keogh who will do whatever it takes to make it on or off the field.They don't have that.

[scotscor]

Dont think Lewis would make the current Munster side, why swop benches?

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks that scotscor. I honestly don't see Lewis pushing anyone out on what I've seen of him past 6 months. Considering his age he's not exactly going to get much better either. Brown would be in the same boat for me. From what I've heard he's not that close for Leinster so he'd be a squad player for us. Right now Dowling, TOL, Payne, Cullen, Kelly and Lawlor when he's back plus Mafi and Murphy could be used on the wing (counting Hoggie as injured again) would all make the side ahead of him. Likewise we're not going to split Halstead-Murphy-Mafi set up for Lewis.


For Kearney I think the biggest problem is Fitzgerald. Until he came along Kearney could be guaranteed to be in pretty much every match 22, which could be enough to keep him going. But now he might not even make that for HEC. Now he is one player who would get through with us. Wing or FB and we need a long term FB option - unless TOL does develop there.


In fact looking at our options right now:


11 - Dowling
12 - Halstead
13 - Murphy
14 - Kelly/TOL/Mafi
15 - Payne/Cullen


It's hardly weak.