While the provinces and their travails in the Rabo Pro 12 and the Heineken Cup attract most of the headlines, the 22-year-old All Ireland League can also play a role in providing an extra pool of players for Ireland.
Irish Times rugby correspondent Gerry Thornley was speaking to Ger and Joe last night and he made that point clear, citing a recent example: Leinster's Darragh Fanning. The 26-year-old's has taken the scenic route to his province's first team. Starting out in the AIL with St Mary's he moved on to Connacht, Tuggeranong Vikings in Australia and then back to St Mary’s before making it at Leinster.
Thornley believes the fact that Irish players develop less quickly then their counterparts in other parts of the world, means the AIL is a good staging ground:
"There is talent out there in the mid-20s in the AIL. It's vitally important for the future of the game in this country that we retain a vibrant AIL so there is somewhere for the really hungry, late developing types to keep on plugging away. Remember James Coughlan in the Irish squad today didn't make his debut until the age of 29 or 30. There are more James Coughlans and Darragh Fannings out there.
"Nowhere is the value of a strong AIL more evident than in the front row because we're late developing as a nation. In rugby terms, front rowers are the most late developing of them all and the experience they gain from playing is just incomparable especially if they're coming up against mature props that know the tricks of the trade."
Speaking of emerging talent, Thornley also bemoaned the injury suffered by Munster's Tommy O'Donnell who he expected to have a huge season.
The 26-year-old faces 12 weeks out with a knee injury.
"He was the coming player. Fully over a year ago I was forecasting this kid would make the Irish back row in the Six Nations. He had a good body of experience in the Rabo Direct. It's a terrible shame having waited as long as he did. He's a genuine 7 and we don't have genuine 7s falling out of trees. He's quick, he knows where the ball is and he's getting better and better. It's just a shame that he's had this delay to his development. He's playing catch-up for the rest of the season."
Thornley also discussed the situation at Connacht (the lads also spoke to coach Pat Lam on issues out west yesterday) and the latest on the battle to save or sink the Heineken Cup depending on which side of the battlements you're standing on.
Listen to the full interview below or download the Wednesday Night Rugby podcast on iTunes which includes the Lam interview.
St. Mary's Darragh Fanning under pressure from Cronin Healy of Cork Constitution in January ©INPHO/Cathal Noonan
