THE EMERGENCE OF young French players James Hart, Peter Lydon and Shane O’Leary in the Top 14 this season has been a fascinating sub-plot to go alongside the fanfare of Jonny Sexton’s first year with Racing Métro.
While Lydon and O’Leary have featured sporadically in the league and Amlin Cup, Hart broke into Grenoble’s starting XV in September and has yet to look back. The scrum-half, who can comfortably operate in the 10 jersey, was pivotal in wins over Racing, Montpellier and Toulouse.
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Hart has now been awarded a full contract with Grenoble after completing his apprentice in their academy. O’Leary is in the club’s academy at present while Lydon is following the same route at Stade Francais. Jerry Sexton and Rory Kavanagh are currently in the academy of Pro D2 side Auch.
Heineken Cup finalists Clermont Auvergne recently established a scouting system in Fiji and ferry over the best prospects to pit their wits against their young, and increasingly international, guns. The Top 14 now has a stipulation that players from any country will become French qualified after a three-year stint in the club academies.
With that in mind, is there a genuine threat of a talented young Irish player one day lining out for France? TheScore.ie caught up with Hart and Bernard Jackman, his coach at Grenoble, to discuss the increased flow of Irish players to France.
Bernard Jackman
The French kids are slower to develop than their Irish counterparts as there is no schools rugby — with its four training sessions a week and video analysis – here. An Irish kid of 18 will be two or three years ahead of a French lad.
We have James and Shane here as I knew James from Clontarf and [skills coach] Mike Prendergast knew Shane from Young Munster. If you don’t have knowledge of the Irish market it may prove tough to select the right talent. In general, Irish players should see if they can make it in their own academy as its more efficient.
We’ll never see academies full of Irish kids, to be honest. It’s not like Grenoble are going to bring 10 Irish kids over. The maximum we’d have is four or five.
Top 14 clubs are also looking to Fiji, Tonga and Samoa as, genetically and physically, they are more advanced. Clermont have a scout in Fiji and get ready-made players in. It’s easy to find the talented players but it is also about how you look after them and help them adapt once they arrive.
Racing Métro, with [skills coach] Ronan O’Gara and Sexton there, will also have an inside line in the really good, young talent in Ireland. I would not be surprised to see one or two lads heading there soon.
Leinster's Jerry Sexton and Sean McCarthy of Munster. INPHO/Cathal Noonan
James Hart
There is a much bigger interest in France of taking young players into their academies. A lot of young lads are coming over to give it a try as there is a greater playing opportunity.
In truth, the academy system in Ireland is further ahead than here. I know a couple of lads in the Leinster Academy at the moment -- Collie O'Shea and Tadhg Furlong -- and they often rave about it. It gives you every chance to become a professional. If you look at the Leinster team, each year they have five or six lads coming through from the academy. At Grenoble, you may only have one or two signing full-time contracts.
In some French clubs it is about getting results. They don't stop to consider the future. If you're thrown in to play at 21 or 22 and don;t do well, you may not get another chance.
The French national team now have a few South Africans and Fijian players. I'm not against it but I know how many of the young French lads feel about it. All these foreign players are coming over to take their pro spots and they're not happy. It's delicate.
Noa Nakaitaci scores a try against Ulster in 2011. The Fijian-born winger made his debut for France this year. INPHO/Morgan Treacy
If France was just a league of its own, I feel, with [indigenous] players advancing from the academies and just a couple of foreign players in each team, they would be top contenders for every World Cup. Young French players have so much talent but often lack that work ethic. That Irish work ethic.
France is definitely an option for young Irish players. You've got to commit to the move if you go. You can't go at it half-hearted. It's a drastic change to life back home. I know the IRFU will be desperately trying to sign up Jamie Heaslip and Sean O'Brien but I'd recommend it to any younger lads who are considering it.
They have nothing to lose. If it goes well, fantastic. If not, you'll always have the experience and something to put on the CV. There are lads who would be on the fringe with Leinster who feel they should be playing. If they put everything into it, they'll definitely get a chance over here. I'm sure we'll see a few more Irish lads coming over in the next year.
As for myself, I can't really say whether I should be capped for Ireland or France. There are some really talented scrumhalves at Leinster and Munster, while Kieran Marmion and Paul Marshall are great too. I'd be happy enough to get called up for an Ireland training squad.
Real danger of French clubs poaching Ireland's best rugby prospects
THE EMERGENCE OF young French players James Hart, Peter Lydon and Shane O’Leary in the Top 14 this season has been a fascinating sub-plot to go alongside the fanfare of Jonny Sexton’s first year with Racing Métro.
While Lydon and O’Leary have featured sporadically in the league and Amlin Cup, Hart broke into Grenoble’s starting XV in September and has yet to look back. The scrum-half, who can comfortably operate in the 10 jersey, was pivotal in wins over Racing, Montpellier and Toulouse.
Hart has now been awarded a full contract with Grenoble after completing his apprentice in their academy. O’Leary is in the club’s academy at present while Lydon is following the same route at Stade Francais. Jerry Sexton and Rory Kavanagh are currently in the academy of Pro D2 side Auch.
Heineken Cup finalists Clermont Auvergne recently established a scouting system in Fiji and ferry over the best prospects to pit their wits against their young, and increasingly international, guns. The Top 14 now has a stipulation that players from any country will become French qualified after a three-year stint in the club academies.
With that in mind, is there a genuine threat of a talented young Irish player one day lining out for France? TheScore.ie caught up with Hart and Bernard Jackman, his coach at Grenoble, to discuss the increased flow of Irish players to France.
Bernard Jackman
The French kids are slower to develop than their Irish counterparts as there is no schools rugby — with its four training sessions a week and video analysis – here. An Irish kid of 18 will be two or three years ahead of a French lad.
We have James and Shane here as I knew James from Clontarf and [skills coach] Mike Prendergast knew Shane from Young Munster. If you don’t have knowledge of the Irish market it may prove tough to select the right talent. In general, Irish players should see if they can make it in their own academy as its more efficient.
Top 14 clubs are also looking to Fiji, Tonga and Samoa as, genetically and physically, they are more advanced. Clermont have a scout in Fiji and get ready-made players in. It’s easy to find the talented players but it is also about how you look after them and help them adapt once they arrive.
Racing Métro, with [skills coach] Ronan O’Gara and Sexton there, will also have an inside line in the really good, young talent in Ireland. I would not be surprised to see one or two lads heading there soon.
Leinster's Jerry Sexton and Sean McCarthy of Munster. INPHO/Cathal Noonan
James Hart
There is a much bigger interest in France of taking young players into their academies. A lot of young lads are coming over to give it a try as there is a greater playing opportunity.
In truth, the academy system in Ireland is further ahead than here. I know a couple of lads in the Leinster Academy at the moment -- Collie O'Shea and Tadhg Furlong -- and they often rave about it. It gives you every chance to become a professional. If you look at the Leinster team, each year they have five or six lads coming through from the academy. At Grenoble, you may only have one or two signing full-time contracts.
In some French clubs it is about getting results. They don't stop to consider the future. If you're thrown in to play at 21 or 22 and don;t do well, you may not get another chance.
The French national team now have a few South Africans and Fijian players. I'm not against it but I know how many of the young French lads feel about it. All these foreign players are coming over to take their pro spots and they're not happy. It's delicate.
Noa Nakaitaci scores a try against Ulster in 2011. The Fijian-born winger made his debut for France this year. INPHO/Morgan Treacy
If France was just a league of its own, I feel, with [indigenous] players advancing from the academies and just a couple of foreign players in each team, they would be top contenders for every World Cup. Young French players have so much talent but often lack that work ethic. That Irish work ethic.
France is definitely an option for young Irish players. You've got to commit to the move if you go. You can't go at it half-hearted. It's a drastic change to life back home. I know the IRFU will be desperately trying to sign up Jamie Heaslip and Sean O'Brien but I'd recommend it to any younger lads who are considering it.
They have nothing to lose. If it goes well, fantastic. If not, you'll always have the experience and something to put on the CV. There are lads who would be on the fringe with Leinster who feel they should be playing. If they put everything into it, they'll definitely get a chance over here. I'm sure we'll see a few more Irish lads coming over in the next year.
As for myself, I can't really say whether I should be capped for Ireland or France. There are some really talented scrumhalves at Leinster and Munster, while Kieran Marmion and Paul Marshall are great too. I'd be happy enough to get called up for an Ireland training squad.
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