Fierce competition sees Jack McGrath slip down pecking order

Criticising Joe Schmidt’s selection policy after the Ireland coach’s unbeaten November series, his fifth at the helm, becomes increasingly difficult.

Initial concerns came from Schmidt excluding Simon Zebo, Sean Cronin and particularly Jack McGrath.

Zebo was dropped because he is moving to France next summer but Rob Kearney justified the recall against Argentina with 11 runs, six defenders beaten for 105 metres gained and no offloads. There was also a crucial overhead catch in the Irish 22 along with eight tackles, none missed.

Rob Herring and James Tracy as hooker cover over Cronin was only surpassed in oddity by McGrath’s minor role this past month.

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“Form was a factor but Jack will be back,” said Schmidt on November 9th when naming Cian Healy to play South Africa with Munster’s Dave Kilcoyne in reserve. “He is only just taking contact again,”

McGrath started against Fiji, when relieved by Healy, before Schmidt confirmed the current loosehead pecking order of Healy and Kilcoyne then McGrath last Saturday. This we know to be fluid and it would be a major surprise if McGrath was still demoted from shadow British and Irish Lions prop to non-runner in Paris on February 3rd.

The obvious answer is the Lions hangover.

“I think, sometimes, there are little dips that happen in form,” said Leinster scrum coach John Fogarty.

“But Jack has been one of the top performers in the past four years. There are little dips but then they find their form very quickly. Nugget [Cronin] found it straight away. Knowing Jack, he is going to use all the disappointment in the right way to sharpen. Hopefully Leinster will benefit from that.”

Leinster coach Leo Cullen has leaned towards McGrath over Healy in the games that matter so far this season. McGrath started against Munster, Montpellier and Ulster while Healy got the nod in Glasgow.

“These men are all really big competitors so Jack was certainly disappointed that he has not had more time for Ireland,” Fogarty continued, “but it is very clear what he needs to do before the Six Nations from an Ireland point of view.

“You have to credit what Cian has done over the last number of years to get him to this point now which has led to that game time. At the end of last year you could really see him put performances together. This season for us and Ireland he has had some big moments. He is healthy and he is confident.

Big games

“I think it says more about that group of looseheads and what they are doing. I certainly don’t think Jack is in a big slump. He’s not going to be head down and wondering where he needs to go, he will be very clear physically, on the S&C side, and rugby wise where he needs to go before the Six Nations. And he will work towards that. There are big games over the next few weeks for us.”

McGrath is due to feature for Leinster in Treviso this Saturday before a return to Champions Cup rugby against Premiership holders the Exeter Chiefs.

“It will take this week for those guys to decompress from Ireland camp but it is amazing how quickly how guys who are up here come back down and be on point while guys down here can come back home and inflate again and get excited about what’s in front of them. Especially international guys.”

The Cronin situation, considering his explosiveness and established value off the bench, with only nine starts in 56 Tests, doesn’t entirely add up. But Schmidt, evidently, prefers Herring and Tracy as his reserve hookers.

“It creates an edge, certainly in their minds, an extra edge,” said Fogarty. “They are going to want to be successful in everything that they do. We got this game against Treviso and then the Exeter back to backs so that will bring an edge but certainly when they get left out, being the competitors they are, there will be a little more edge as they want to prove their worth. At this moment in time probably those two players feel there is more in them, and rightly so, and they will go to work.

“Sean, I have to say, has been excellent the last number of weeks. He was initially disappointed not to be in that camp but, Christ, he has worked really hard over the last number of weeks to improve every part of his game, and physically, you see him doing extra bits after sessions. You can see the edge mid week.”