IN AN ALTERNATE universe, Nick Timoney would have accepted the advice that came his way and changed position to hooker. Who knows where he would have ended up in rugby?
Funnily enough, the man who offered him that advice just after Timoney had left school at Blackrock College now works as Ireland’s scrum coach.
And it seems rather fitting that John Fogarty is still working on turning Timoney into a hooker.
The Ulster back row is marked as a genuine option at hooker on Ireland’s official team sheets, meaning that he is entitled to scrummage at hooker in games.
So that advice back when Fogarty was working in the Leinster system had validity.
“Nick slags me about it now because he says he’s international back row, which he is, but I thought he’d make a brilliant hooker back then,” said Fogarty on Monday.
“So we used to do quite a bit back then, throwing and scrummaging, and he’s done a bit in Ulster, and he really fancies it. So he’s a legitimate option for us to go in at hooker.”
Timoney has actually played at hooker for Ulster, albeit only for 20 minutes of a pre-season game against Leinster in the summer of 2023 when the northern province were very light in that position.
Although Ireland haven’t called on him to switch to hooker, Timoney continues to work on the set-piece skills he would need
“He scrummages there,” said Fogarty.
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“He does a bit of 3 v 3 work. I’m going to put him into some ‘tensions’ this week so we can see how his back is.
“We want to make him as safe as possible in there. Once you’re doing that and he’s comfortable and he’s willing, then all is fair.”
It’s handy to have Timoney as an option in the match day 23, but Fogarty admits that it’s still more of a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency thing. It seems unlikely we will see Ireland doing it by choice.
Timoney and Ireland forwards coach Paul O'Connell. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
“Once we’re drilling him and it’s safe, we’re making him feel good in there, I’m not sure we need to play him there.
“We’ve got really good hookers in the two lads, Dan [Sheehan] and Rónan [Kelleher]. But Tom [Stewart] and Gus [McCarthy], they are really, really good hookers.
“We’d probably look to give them time in the saddle going forward.”
Timoney’s versatility is a strength. He can play across the back row in a number of different roles.
He has shone at openside flanker for Ireland this year, and impressed again having started in the number seven shirt against Argentina last weekend.
Timoney moved to number eight in the 46th minute when Sean Jansen was forced off injured, with Josh van der Flier coming on at openside.
With Jansen now having been ruled out of the remainder of this Nations Championship, Timoney appears to be the leading contender to start at number eight for Ireland against South Africa in two weekends.
Jansen joined Caelan Doris and Jack Conan on the injury list, but Ireland opted against calling up another out-and-out number eight like Gavin Coombes or Brian Gleeson of Munster, with Ulster’s back row David McCann instead joining the squad.
“We’re happy with what we have in the squad,” said Fogarty when asked if Ireland considered bringing in another pure number eight.
The squad includes Ulster’s uncapped 23-year-old James McNabney, who brings power from number eight or blindside flanker, while Connacht’s Cian Prendergast has started two games at number eight for Ireland in the past.
And Ireland are convinced that Timoney can be a weapon from number eight from the start of games too.
“Well, he’s incredibly explosive, he’s got a great set of hands on him. Why can’t he do it?” said Fogarty.
Ireland scrum coach John Fogarty. Ben Brady / INPHO
Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO
“You see Ben Earl [of England], not the biggest man. Nick’s a far bigger guy. He does very well off the back of a scrum. In open play off the strike runners, he’s excellent as well.
“So Nick is capable of playing across the back row, which makes him, as you move towards a World Cup, a very interesting player to have in your squad.”
Fogarty said that this ability to play in more than one position is always welcome.
“You saw Ports [Andrew Porter] play loosehead and then come on as a tighthead [against Argentina on Friday],” he said.
“Having these hybrid players is a good thing. You’re given opportunities at times to see what that looks like. You know, Leinster did that with Dan as an eight, and it’s not a bad thing.
“I know South Africa have been doing that for a little bit, so good players are good players, and some guys have the capability to play in different positions, and Nick is probably one of those guys.”
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'He's incredibly explosive' - Ireland happy with number eight options
IN AN ALTERNATE universe, Nick Timoney would have accepted the advice that came his way and changed position to hooker. Who knows where he would have ended up in rugby?
Funnily enough, the man who offered him that advice just after Timoney had left school at Blackrock College now works as Ireland’s scrum coach.
And it seems rather fitting that John Fogarty is still working on turning Timoney into a hooker.
The Ulster back row is marked as a genuine option at hooker on Ireland’s official team sheets, meaning that he is entitled to scrummage at hooker in games.
So that advice back when Fogarty was working in the Leinster system had validity.
“Nick slags me about it now because he says he’s international back row, which he is, but I thought he’d make a brilliant hooker back then,” said Fogarty on Monday.
“So we used to do quite a bit back then, throwing and scrummaging, and he’s done a bit in Ulster, and he really fancies it. So he’s a legitimate option for us to go in at hooker.”
Timoney has actually played at hooker for Ulster, albeit only for 20 minutes of a pre-season game against Leinster in the summer of 2023 when the northern province were very light in that position.
Although Ireland haven’t called on him to switch to hooker, Timoney continues to work on the set-piece skills he would need
“He scrummages there,” said Fogarty.
“He does a bit of 3 v 3 work. I’m going to put him into some ‘tensions’ this week so we can see how his back is.
“We want to make him as safe as possible in there. Once you’re doing that and he’s comfortable and he’s willing, then all is fair.”
It’s handy to have Timoney as an option in the match day 23, but Fogarty admits that it’s still more of a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency thing. It seems unlikely we will see Ireland doing it by choice.
“Once we’re drilling him and it’s safe, we’re making him feel good in there, I’m not sure we need to play him there.
“We’ve got really good hookers in the two lads, Dan [Sheehan] and Rónan [Kelleher]. But Tom [Stewart] and Gus [McCarthy], they are really, really good hookers.
“We’d probably look to give them time in the saddle going forward.”
Timoney’s versatility is a strength. He can play across the back row in a number of different roles.
He has shone at openside flanker for Ireland this year, and impressed again having started in the number seven shirt against Argentina last weekend.
Timoney moved to number eight in the 46th minute when Sean Jansen was forced off injured, with Josh van der Flier coming on at openside.
With Jansen now having been ruled out of the remainder of this Nations Championship, Timoney appears to be the leading contender to start at number eight for Ireland against South Africa in two weekends.
Jansen joined Caelan Doris and Jack Conan on the injury list, but Ireland opted against calling up another out-and-out number eight like Gavin Coombes or Brian Gleeson of Munster, with Ulster’s back row David McCann instead joining the squad.
“We’re happy with what we have in the squad,” said Fogarty when asked if Ireland considered bringing in another pure number eight.
The squad includes Ulster’s uncapped 23-year-old James McNabney, who brings power from number eight or blindside flanker, while Connacht’s Cian Prendergast has started two games at number eight for Ireland in the past.
And Ireland are convinced that Timoney can be a weapon from number eight from the start of games too.
“Well, he’s incredibly explosive, he’s got a great set of hands on him. Why can’t he do it?” said Fogarty.
“You see Ben Earl [of England], not the biggest man. Nick’s a far bigger guy. He does very well off the back of a scrum. In open play off the strike runners, he’s excellent as well.
“So Nick is capable of playing across the back row, which makes him, as you move towards a World Cup, a very interesting player to have in your squad.”
Fogarty said that this ability to play in more than one position is always welcome.
“You saw Ports [Andrew Porter] play loosehead and then come on as a tighthead [against Argentina on Friday],” he said.
“Having these hybrid players is a good thing. You’re given opportunities at times to see what that looks like. You know, Leinster did that with Dan as an eight, and it’s not a bad thing.
“I know South Africa have been doing that for a little bit, so good players are good players, and some guys have the capability to play in different positions, and Nick is probably one of those guys.”
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