When Chunk retires - Cross to loosehead?

Been thinking about the current front row options with Scotland. What worries me is that we really have no replacement for the legend that is chunk. So looking to the next world cup, how about this?

Newcastle gets relegated and Edinburgh sign Euan Murray. This allows Geoff Cross to gradually move across to loosehead so that when Chunk retires we have a decent option to replace him. Cross is fantastic in the loose but not the best scrummager, so why not let him play to his strengths and put him on the loosehead side where the scrums aren't quite as damaging?

The cupboard is fairly bare just now for up and coming props and Cross will be coming into his propping prime in the next couple of years - so do you think this will work and is it something that might actually happen?

Good post - I certainly do believe that the Falcons are going down and Murray will come back up north.

Cross is a very strong man and a very smart player and I would really like to see him move to loose. You just assume thta Chunk will go on forever - the only man in the Scotland squad that I look better than in the skintight player's shirt.

In terms of the cupboard being bare, I would also, and I'm very serious about this, really like to see Michael Cusack courted about the possibilty of playing for Scotland. The man is a monster and is a big, big prospect at tighthead. Okay, so he needs to work up a game in the loose, but that will come when his fitness becomes Rabo Pro rather than English Championship.

Agreed that loosehead is an issue.

Ryan Grant is capable in the loose, but like Dickinson, isn't good enough at scrum time. Not convinced yet by Welsh, and Traynor only has a reverse/collapse gear to offer.

We have options, it's just than none have really stepped up. I had high hopes for Low and Welsh at Glasgow to be honest, but Cusack and Grant are highly ahead of them.

Cusack is a decent scrummager, but needs to add to his general game which is woefully short on action. I'd like him to qualify and have him as an option, as neither Cross nor Low are particularly strong in the scrum.

No - Cross is not good enough in his preferred position - moving him across to be worse on the other side of the scrum is not the solution (anyone remember Hadden's experiment with Dickinson at tighthead?).
I agree that there is no obvious successor, but given time, perhaps Welsh or Grant at Glasgow will come good. There was also a post last week raising Shiells at Newcastle as an option. Until then we just need to hope that Chunk soldiers on.

I was gonna say Shiells at newcastle but donkeyprop beat me to it.

only heard about him this week, so im not going to get too carried away, but destroying Hayman is no mean feat.

We certainly could do with a couple more props

funnyExiledScot wrote:

Cusack is a decent scrummager, but needs to add to his general game which is woefully short on action. I'd like him to qualify and have him as an option, as neither Cross nor Low are particularly strong in the scrum.

I was going to argue that since Cusack is already 27 & will take 3 years to qualify it would be better to develop the younger man.However, checking the Glasgow website, I see that Low is only 3 weeks younger, so if he can't make the jersey his own during this time Cusack might be an answer, if he gets fit.

I wish I knew where but I've read that Cusack is being courted. Think it was the same article that mentioned Sean Lineen was chatting up Troy Nathan too. I will have a look for it now.

I think it's an option we should consider, RDW, altho we're not overly blessed with prop talent coming thru - somehow out of Grant, Welsh, Shiells, Low, Cross, we've got to find a decent pair of props with another 2 as bench cover, cos we won't have Murray and Chunk for ever. The good news is that they are all developing (even if sometimes in fits and starts) and they probably have a year or two).

nick, you are absolutely right, Lineen considers Cusack to be a 'project' player with a MacVisser view to residency qualification in 2.5 yrs time

See absolutely no point in perusing Troy Nathan for residency - they guy will be in his 30's by the time that comes. He's a decent player but isn't exactly taking the league by storm either!

Plus there's plenty young guys just now who may come good in 2-3 years.

I'd be inclined to agree RDW, here's the article

http://www.rabodirectpro12.com/news/11708.php

Here's the article about Cusack too

http://www.scotsman.com/sport/rugby/club-rugby/scouts_part_of_the_project_again_as_scots_step_up_the_hunt_for_players_1_1990276

ASBO - hope you had a storming weekend, did you see the comment thread for the above article. The 'Sean Maitland' campaign is spreading

I wondered where I'd seen Shiells before and then I remembered him from his Kelso days. He's only 22 as well which is excellent as most props hit their pomp in their late twenties anyway.

If Newcastle go down, hopefully we'll be smart enough to buy both him and Murray.