Cian Healy's ascension in the scrum

[Big Ewis]

Cian Healy went from being an average scrummager, mediocre even on occasion even for a LH, to becoming...the best scrummaging LH atm ? I don't know, but I saw Healy go from being "manshamed" (remember that...) by Dan Cole; and although he wasn't the weak link in that Irish scrum, he wasn't winning his match-up either; around 2012 to becoming if not the best in the business as I mentioned at least a dominant Loosehead scrummager. I've been impressed with him at scrum-time in every match I've seen him in, lately that is against NZ, England, France and even Wales (although Adam Jones we all agree is on a slope atm..).
I'm just watching the Toulon Leinster 1/4F again from some months ago, and Carl Hayman is the closest thing to an immovable object you'll find in world Rugby. The guy is seriously one scary ***an, and a unique specimen being so huge and yet a brutally dominant scrummager. Man, Healy's holding his own there, forgot how well he performed in there.
I've been trying, with my humble means, to determine just what the new laws have changed, and we had this discussion before with a few ppl here, but although it's rather clear Cian Healy's much improved scrum ability has to do with both the new rules and his bettering his technique with age, as he hits 27 in a couple of months (best years for a prop, no ?); how much do you think is the new rules, how much do you think is his maturity ?

Do you think he's the best scrummaging LH in the world atm, considering Carl Hayman put a number on Beast a couple of months ago (and Healy did well against Hayman), Thomas Domingo has looked useless out of the blue as of March 2014 and Corbisiero is in N/A mode atm and needs to prove he's still dominant ? Ayerza, De Marchi ?

 

[Feicarsinn]

Jack is a better scrummager than Cian.

 

[big ginger 8]

Healy's always been improving as a scrummaging, which is normal enough for a prop who first started for Leinster at 19 and had played schools rugby at hooker.

He hasn't really been anywhere near a liability since 2010 I'd say. A loosehead can't really do too much if his tighthead is ****e and for the first part of his career especially with Ireland with an aging John Hayes and eh Tony Buckley. His by far worst day with Leinster at the scrum was vs a really strong Toulouse scrum and Stan Wright who wasn't at his best and CJ Van Der Linde who was only on one foot. Once he was paired with Mike Ross for both he improved immeasureably. That day where you say Dan Cole "manshamed" him it was a good performance by Cole but it was more Corbiesero doing a job on Tom Court who was really a loosehead being forced into a job he shouldn't have been.

With Ross beside Healy put in a decent number of destructive performances, he didn't have the consitency for a number of reasons. Such as being still learning, not saving as much energy for the scrum as other props do and playing in teams that are more concentrated on restarting the game rather than winning penalties. The new rules have definitely helped as Healy is one of the strongest props around which does get more reward than it did under the last ones as well as him maturing as a prop.

Jack is a better scrummager than Cian.

I'd probably agree with this actually. Jack is much more willing to study his scrummaging and put more time into studying his own tapes and his opposition whereas Healy is more willing to just use his natural gifts.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Maybe one day he'll be as good as Andrew Sheridan.

 

[Big Ewis]

Maybe one day he'll be as good as Andrew Sheridan.

another fine French product.

 

[big ginger 8]

Maybe one day he'll be as good as Andrew Sheridan.

Probably the same day that Dave Seymour is fit to lace Sean O'Brien's boots.

 

[FrenchFan]

Let's sign him over.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

New scrum engagement sequence? Healy has adapted very well to it compared to other loose heads like Domingo.

 

[Big Ewis]

Let's sign him over.

nah though, not happy with the way the Irish are performing here and getting homesick and shiit...let's just wait for Beast in a year...

 

[welshglory]

Healy is comfortably the most dominant front row in the game at the moment period.

Ayerza is 2nd best with Woodcock at 3rd right behind if not equal to each other both solid in the scrums and handy in the loose but not DOMINANT like Healy.

De Marchi, Jenkins, Slipper, Marler, Corbisiero, Steenkamp, Beast etc... are all on the same level.
The attempt to convert Coenie Oosthuizen into a tighthead has been silly, he probably would have overtaken Beast now as first choice loosehead by now and be a leading world class player.

Domingo has been injured pretty much every since 09 i think. He might be past it now to be fair.

 

[Big Ewis]

Domingo has been injured pretty much every since 09 i think. He might be past it now to be fair.

well he's found fantastic form again since 2009 though, although that is pretty accurate. You seem to know your looseheads, the only thing I disagree with you on is Woodcock being that high on the list in the company of Ayerza and Healy. But about Domingo, however much of excessive fatigue and not adapting to the new rules it is, it's most definitely got something to do with both, since about March 2014.
The really weird thing is during the 6N, he had a heck of a night on the first weekend vs Dan Cole, so started off where he left off before the end-of-2013 injury. But then showed signs of slowing down a bit vs Italy, although overall we were dominant against them if not for those first two big scrums they had on us, we did make them go back like 15m or wtvr to start the 2nd half on that one scrum. Then, in Cardiff, difficulties at times against Adam Jones but still pretty good overall and Jones is no joke. But then, big difficulties in Murrayfield again the SCOTTISH SCRUM, and later just suffering against Ireland, got those like 3 penalties against Mike Ross where Saint-André had to take him out of the game as early as half-time. As he returned to the Top 14 he had a few tightheads suffering but then as France went Down Under, he got absolutely smashed on a few occasions and just didn't look himself whatsoever, scary stuff. I have that image of Kepu pushing him way back almost running him through, just so odd...

How did our scrum go from, for instance, our game vs Ireland in 2013 to our game vs Ireland in 2014. Same exact front rows (except Kayser in '13 then Szar in '14 at hooker):



Clear advantage overall in 2013 to big issues for France in 2014. A year's time.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Probably the same day that Dave Seymour is fit to lace Sean O'Brien's boots.

 

[Peat]

Feic and BG8 nailed it. The reasons for his improvement are obvious (better TH, more experience - also more muscle and weight) and there are better scrummaging looseheads out there.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Dianabol