Loosehead Prop Choices of the Home Nations?

Lets look at who the board rate as the best Looseheads possible suggestions for the Lions next year.

Pick TWO Looseheads from the Poll below.

For me this is a simple one, Jenkins and Corbisiero.

A props primary job is to scrummage and they are both better than Healy in this regard. Healy is a monster in the loose but Jenkins and Corbisiero are hardly shrinking violets there themselves.

Evening Ozzy Mate.

Corbisero is a good call, even keel with Healey for me, great scrummager. Was a tough call for me, but I was inclined towards Healey, a more developed player, who has had some superb games this year for Leinster and Ireland. And he beat the Ozzies before.

Jenkins barring injury should go and Healy back up, any possible late runners who haven't made the list? Will Paul James ability to play both sides be a consideration?

There is a likelihood that five props will go. The final prop spot would be most likely a player who can cover both sides for the bench.

Jenks and Corbs for me, Healy seems to have gone backward a bit of late.

bedfordwelsh wrote:Jenks and Corbs for me, Healy seems to have gone backward a bit of late.

He was going backwards a few weeks ago...

Now now Maes lol

bedfordwelsh wrote:

Now now Maes lol

Aye, Poor Bugger...! Strange because ireland have had a very good set piece with their first choice players. I rate Healey and Ross very Highly, wouldn't be surprised if they were the choices along with Adam and Geth.

Jenkins and Corbs...

Jenks and Corbs from me too, I wouldn't be bothered if one of them was substituted for Healy though. You're right in saying a prop's primary function is scrummaging but Geth isn't a world class scrummager tbh. Adam seems to get any pack he's a part of trundling forwards. Geth offers additional tackling, stealing and kicking if needed.

Well anyway if Robinson get binned we will have seen the last of Jacobsen in a Scotland shirt- Jon Welsh is twice the player and can play tight head.

Why is Brett Wilkinson there?

I think england will have a luxury in that position soon mind with Corbs, Mullan and Marler all fighting it out...

GeordieFalcon wrote:I think england will have a luxury in that position soon mind with Corbs, Mullan and Marler all fighting it out...

Nick Wood as well. Decent player.

On the main question Jenkins is easy, then it's a straight call between Corbs and Healy. I went for Healy. Awesome in the loose, the Aussies don't have a destructive tighthead, and he won't have to deal with Tom Court disintegrating at loosehead.

Healy was excellent scrummaging against Scotland. Corbs was out-scrummaged by Cole at the weekend.

I think it's a very close call. Corbs is probably the better scrummager, Healy certainly better in the loose. Were it to South Africa or NZ I'd probably edge towards Corbs, but as it's the Aussies, and as Jenkins will start anyway, I'd go with Healy. Such a talent in the loose.

Healy and Jenkins for me, with Healy to start. I know im biased but i absolutely love the chap. Hes a monster in the loose, puts in huge hits, nuisance at the breakdown and his scummaging is much better than made out. Since the toulouse match in 2010 he hasnt been shown up in the scrum until the England match, but that was with two looseheads on.

Just for the record Court is Irelands second choice Loosehead not wilkinson

Corbs and Jenkins for me.

Jenkins and Corbs

I went for Jenks and Healy.

For my explanation of why, see funnyExiledScot's answer above.

doctornickolas wrote:I went for Jenks and Healy.

For my explanation of why, see funnyExiledScot's answer above.

A good reason to choose Cole in front of Jones at tight head.

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:

doctornickolas wrote:I went for Jenks and Healy.

For my explanation of why, see funnyExiledScot's answer above.

A good reason to choose Cole in front of Jones at tight head.

Enlighten us all...?

maestegmafia wrote:

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:

doctornickolas wrote:I went for Jenks and Healy.

For my explanation of why, see funnyExiledScot's answer above.

A good reason to choose Cole in front of Jones at tight head.

Enlighten us all...?

Cole is a lot better in the loose than Jones & Cole got the better of Corbs recently something which didn't happen in the 6Ns.

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:

doctornickolas wrote:I went for Jenks and Healy.

For my explanation of why, see funnyExiledScot's answer above.

A good reason to choose Cole in front of Jones at tight head.

Enlighten us all...?

Cole is a lot better in the loose than Jones & Cole got the better of Corbs recently something which didn't happen in the 6Ns.

Well I just posted the Tighthead Prop Poll of the Home Nations so you can write a lovely piece all about your theories.

maestegmafia wrote:

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:

doctornickolas wrote:I went for Jenks and Healy.

For my explanation of why, see funnyExiledScot's answer above.

A good reason to choose Cole in front of Jones at tight head.

Enlighten us all...?

Cole is a lot better in the loose than Jones & Cole got the better of Corbs recently something which didn't happen in the 6Ns.

Well I just posted the Tighthead Prop Poll of the Home Nations so you can write a lovely piece all about your theories.

How condescending.

But it's not theory it's logic.

In fairness, Cole's probably England's best 7 at the moment, which is pretty impressive for a prop!

Adam Jones definitely got the upper hand on Corbisiero in the 6N. The English scrum went backwards on several occasions resulting in Welsh penalties.

I think there will be 5 props on the tour.

Dan Cole, Adam Jones

Jenkins, Healy, Corbisiero

reason being that Corbisiero and Jenkins have both at times played on the tighthead so could cover there in emergencies. Adam and Cole are out and out T/H's

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:

doctornickolas wrote:I went for Jenks and Healy.

For my explanation of why, see funnyExiledScot's answer above.

A good reason to choose Cole in front of Jones at tight head.

Enlighten us all...?

Cole is a lot better in the loose than Jones & Cole got the better of Corbs recently something which didn't happen in the 6Ns.

Well I just posted the Tighthead Prop Poll of the Home Nations so you can write a lovely piece all about your theories.

How condescending.

But it's not theory it's logic.

No ones being condescending.

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:

BigTrevsbigmac wrote:

doctornickolas wrote:I went for Jenks and Healy.

For my explanation of why, see funnyExiledScot's answer above.

A good reason to choose Cole in front of Jones at tight head.

Enlighten us all...?

Cole is a lot better in the loose than Jones & Cole got the better of Corbs recently something which didn't happen in the 6Ns.

Well I just posted the Tighthead Prop Poll of the Home Nations so you can write a lovely piece all about your theories.

How condescending.

But it's not theory it's logic.

No ones being condescending.

Welsh and Cross should be on that list.

George Carlin wrote:Welsh and Cross should be on that list.

Please feel free to ask one of our moderator friends to adjust the Poll and include them.

Jenkins and Healy. Healy didn't have a great 6N but I still believe that these are the two best looseheads.

Healy needs to up his game though as Corbiesero is pushing for a spot.

If fit Jenkins is a certainty.

Another name that could figure is Sheridan. Easily England's strongest scrummager and a great track record of bullying Australia. Playing in France won't count against him and if he stays fit and enjoys a season in the T14 then may well come into the frame.

I thought Healey did well throughout, even in the final game he was effective in the loose, unfortunately Ireland were conceding a ridiculous amount of penalties in the scrum, not necesarily his own fault.

But that second half against England appears to be seriously counting against both Healey and Ross, who as we all know we're toted by many posters on 606 to be a better choice than Adam Jones and Gethins Jenkins prior to Twickenham.

Well, Gethin is a nailed on certainty - solid enough in the scrum (may not be a destructive scrummager, but you don't see him get shoved around much) and he is still the finest open play prop in the world.

The discussion and choice between Corbs and Healy is interesting - both are sort of Gethin-lite, with Corbs being as good as GJ in the scrum but not offering quite as much in open play, while Healy is close to Gethin in open play but isn't the best scrummager (again, adequate rather than exceptional). I actually think both will tour, with Jenkins and Corbs being asked to cover tighthead in an emergency.

Wilkinson wont even make the Irish tour let alone the Lions tour.
Both Court and McAllister are ahead of him

The other option would be gethin, Healey or corbisiero and james/welsh/Stevens.

Most likely that the fifth prop slot would go to a player who can cross the scrum.

James is a great candidate, ahead of gethin corbisero and Healey as a scrummager and handy in the loose too.

maestegmafia wrote:I thought Healey did well throughout, even in the final game he was effective in the loose, unfortunately Ireland were conceding a ridiculous amount of penalties in the scrum, not necesarily his own fault.

But that second half against England appears to be seriously counting against both Healey and Ross, who as we all know we're toted by many posters on 606 to be a better choice than Adam Jones and Gethins Jenkins prior to Twickenham.

I doubt anyone was seriously putting Ross ahead of Jones,while Ross is very important to Ireland there's a big gap in class when compared to Jones.

As for Healy and Jenkins,I've said I think Healy will be starting for the Lions but that's in over a years time,at the minute I'd have Jenkins as slightly the better player but Healy has been improving in huge leaps over the last few years and I expect that to continue while Jenkins is probably as good now as he's ever going to be although that's still very good.

asoreleftshoulder wrote:

maestegmafia wrote:I thought Healey did well throughout, even in the final game he was effective in the loose, unfortunately Ireland were conceding a ridiculous amount of penalties in the scrum, not necesarily his own fault.

But that second half against England appears to be seriously counting against both Healey and Ross, who as we all know we're toted by many posters on 606 to be a better choice than Adam Jones and Gethins Jenkins prior to Twickenham.

I doubt anyone was seriously putting Ross ahead of Jones,while Ross is very important to Ireland there's a big gap in class when compared to Jones.

As for Healy and Jenkins,I've said I think Healy will be starting for the Lions but that's in over a years time,at the minute I'd have Jenkins as slightly the better player but Healy has been improving in huge leaps over the last few years and I expect that to continue while Jenkins is probably as good now as he's ever going to be although that's still very good.

There were plenty of people selecting Ross over Jones and Healey over Jenkins, whether they were serious or not is a different matter. Hard to know sometimes.

maestegmafia

We're all a little biased dude... Gethin is a top performer and standout but Jones has Cole and Ross snapping at his heels.

Has to stay fit and focused but to be honest against the Aussies we don't need a Jason Leonard lump of a player necessarily to start.

For instance I would say that currently Cole's overall workrate and loose play shades Jones' slightly but Jones is superior in the scrum.

Yet Cole will be confident in getting the upper hand on any aussie loosehead so perhaps Cole could be the better choice.

Its all relative I guess.

That's a valid point mate.

I agree that an athletic pack might well be the key to dominance over the Bazzers.

In which case Cole, Ford and Jenkins as 1,2 and 3 would be a great prospect.

Its like in 97....

Leonard and Rowntree were superior props in almost all faculties of rugby and going into the series were the favourites to start all tests.

But ther lions said we can't beat the boks in their own game and have to find a way to compete.. i.e. choosing ackward smaller props who could frustrate the boks front row.

We have to chose not necessarily our best XV.. we need to choose the best XV players who will together have the best chance of beating the aussies in at least 2 games.

and that may mean leaving out some 'certs' regardless of them doing nothing wrong.

This is very interesting.
The 2 shoe in's are the Welsh boy Props (Jones and Jenkins).
If they go on tour they have nothing to prove against Oz.
The upcoming tours will go a long way to determining the backup props.

English pair will scrum down against arguably the best scrummaging Southern Hem team.
Cian Healy and Mike Ross will be tested against the Kiwi pack (no easy task with Franks in good form).

Good or bad performances against these oponents will be the deciding factor, and then if they can back it up in the November tests.

Is, Scotland touring? If so where. I would like to see Ford and Murray et. al against the southern teams.

maestegmafia wrote: But that second half against England appears to be seriously counting against both Healey and Ross.

Bit harsh on Ross seeing as he did play any part in the 2nd half

Just goes to show how integral Ross is to the Irish team.

"Its like in 97....

Leonard and Rowntree were superior props in almost all faculties of rugby and going into the series were the favourites to start all tests.

But ther lions said we can't beat the boks in their own game and have to find a way to compete.. i.e. choosing ackward smaller props who could frustrate the boks front row.

We have to chose not necessarily our best XV.. we need to choose the best XV players who will together have the best chance of beating the aussies in at least 2 games.

and that may mean leaving out some 'certs' regardless of them doing nothing wrong."

Slightly mistaken I believe. It was Dai Young and Leonard who were favourites to start not Rowntree. They were replaced by Wallace and Smith due to their poor form in the warm up matches and this was not a conscious game plan to unsettle the SA side but more a reaction to Leonard and Young struggling on that tour.

Tommy Smith was awesome.

I went for Jenkins and Healy, tad harsh on Corbs but having seen him take a beating at the weekend I don't think there's to much between him and Healy at the scrum and Healy edges it in the loose. Healy also has more big game experience but I think Corbs does have the potential to over take him before the Lions tour if he works hard on his all round game.

A bit off topic (loosehead) but I'm leaning towards a Cole, Jenkins combo having seen ome of the contributions.

Face it, with Oz, it's not about beating them in the scrum, you want mobile forwards with ahigh workrate.

geoff998rugby wrote:

maestegmafia wrote: But that second half against England appears to be seriously counting against both Healey and Ross.

Bit harsh on Ross seeing as he did play any part in the 2nd half

I agree, exactly my point.

Ross has been in great form.

Jones does have a high work rate as well, I'd use Cole when the game starts to break up as his defensive abilities will help slow the Aus attack and with slow ball they don't have a whole load of options.