IN THE ERA of the modern tighthead prop, size is starting to matter more and more, and we were treated to a perfect example of that in last week’s Heineken Champions Cup final.
In the yellow corner you had Uini Atonio, the 6’4″ 137kg France international holding up the right side of La Rochelle’s front row, while opposing him in Toulouse’s red corner was former All Black Charlie Faumuina, standing tall at 6′ and weighing in at a comparatively light 125kg – both punishing ball carriers around the park and destructive scrummagers in the tight.
That is one of the biggest questions that plagues rugby currently – how big is too big? At what point have you sacrificed too much mobility in exchange for power but, equally, is there a lower limit to how light a prop can be in order to be effective in the loose? And where does the upper limit extend to?
That was something Marty Moore found himself asking while watching the game himself at the weekend. The former Ireland tighthead is no slouch in the loose and weighs in at 123kg, not far off Faumuina, but even he found himself marvelling at the ability of both French forwards to both pick themselves up time and time again for scrum time despite offering themselves as primary ball carriers in the loose.
“You could just be in the gym and be great at carrying and the set piece, but then you struggle with the dynamic stuff around the field,” he says of striking a balance between the two aspects of being a prop.
“It’s a dynamic I’m trying to find myself. It’s about making sure you can do enough around the field while also doing your job at the set piece. There’s not too many guys like the two you saw at tighthead at the weekend for the French teams who are that big and can do both. It’s a bit of a balancing act.”
Under Ulster’s style of play, it is arguable that neither Atonio nor Faumuina would fit in, as Moore would likely attest to having found himself utilising new aspects of ball carrying. With more of a focus on fast-flowing rugby, the Dubliner has increasingly become a player who will fake to carry and then draw the pass behind him for the backs to work their magic.
Even when he does carry, he looks for the offload more, most notably when he set John Cooney over for a try out in Clermont two years ago, and when he does opt to hold onto the ball, his carries are more dynamic because tacklers have to consider the offload.
Indeed, he is so integral to Ulster’s play, he’s still holding off the challenge of Tom O’Toole for the starting jersey in the province’s big games, despite his young understudy having been preferred for the Ireland squad over the last year and a half. With Tadhg Furlong and Andrew Porter both away with the Lions this summer, that could change for the Tests against the USA and Japan, but Moore is coy on his chances.
“It’s not something that I really… it’s been so long since I’ve been in that environment that it’s not really part of my goal setting and objectives. It’s something that every player aspires to, but it’s not something that I put as a marker of where I’m at,” admits Moore with a little shrug.
“If it did come to that then that’d be great, but I don’t grade myself by that benchmark.”
Instead, he’s put a lot of emphasis on helping some of those younger guys start to forge their own path within the squad, such as O’Toole on his side of the scrum and then the likes of Eric O’Sullivan and Callum Reid at loosehead. While some might see a conflict of interest arriving, Moore insists there’s no animosity if a player he’s helped takes a start away from him.
“It’s a funny one because you tend to be closest to those in the squad who play in the same position. It’s just the people you’re around tend to be the people you’re in competition with,” he explains.
There are very few players you come across who don’t want their teammates to do well, regardless of their position. It’s gutting not to make the starting team or the match day squad at times, but you hold that against the coach for a few minutes, not the player. You just want to kick on. Everybody gives a bit of input.
“I think it would be an awful environment if it was the other way around, if everybody was at each other’s backs over selection. It’s good, there’s a good culture of players helping each other out here and giving input where it’s needed. Long may it continue.”
With Ulster not in action today as planned – their game with the Scarlets was abandoned after four of the province’s squad tested positive for Covid-19 – it means next season draws ever closer for Dan McFarland’s men, with only their trip to Edinburgh next week to navigate before they head off on their summer holidays.
But, despite ending the season trophy-less yet again and having one less game for players to stake a late claim in the Rainbow Cup for more playing time next season, Moore believes the squad is still progressing in a positive direction going into next campaign as their young players start to reach their full potential.
“There are a lot of guys who have broken into the international scene this season alone, some young guys are on the fringes. Even the guys coming into our squad are impressive. I always knew a year or two ago when I joined the club the potential of the boys, but it’s starting to come to fruition now,” adds Moore.
“There are a lot of guys coming into their own now that they’ve passed the Academy stage and have a few senior games under their belts and they’re really impressive. It keeps the senior players on their toes because you can’t be complacent about your place.
“The average age is a lot younger than most teams I’ve played in over the years, so you’re made to feel like an old guy if you’re in your late 20s!”
The42 Rugby Weekly / SoundCloud
Bernard Jackman and Murray Kinsella join Gavan Casey to discuss their roles in the rugby media, the concept of ‘bias’, punditry preferences, the art of co-commentary, new-age online analysts and much more
