Rugby fitness displayed by the props in the RBS 6 nations has been far and above any level of fitness I’ve ever seen before

I’ve been avidly watching all the games this season and there has been a definite shift in what we now expect the props to be able to do in the game.

Here’s the top 2 things a prop has to be able to do:

1. Scrummage powerfully, not only being ’solid’ on their ball but also having the ability to dominate the opposition and put the No 8 and scrum half under immense pressure at the base.

2. Line-out lifting strength. The Irish prop John Hayes is reportedly the first on the team sheet due to not only his scrummaging power but also his line-out lifting ability. He has large enough hands and is strong enough to be able to lift one of the line-out jumpers all on his own. This is an amazing display of pure strength and allows Ireland to get 3 jumpers in the air at a defensive line-out.

But in the international world of propping these two basics are not the only things that a prop needs to be able to do. I think that there are two other facets of ay that a prop needs to be able to excel in at least one of if they are to be considered a world class prop. If they can do both then that really does put them in an even stronger position.

1. Tackles – watching the game between Wales and France at the weekend there was one occasion where the French prop Nicolas Mas put in a covering tackle on the winger Shane Williams when there was no one else for the winger to beat. That defensive work rate that he showed is exactly what a modern international standard prop needs to show.

Other props who distinctly show a huge tackling work rate in the International world are Gethin Jenkins of Wales and Carl Hayman of New Zealand. These props are making in excess of 10 tackles a match, figures once associated with the back row forwards tackle figures. One of the first props to start to show this characteristic and level of tackling was the legendary Jason Lennard of England. His tackle rate in the World Cup Final of 2003 was over the 10 mark.

2. Ball carrying – some props are better ball carriers than others and have that demonstrative power aspect to their game which allows them to burst through tackles and off load the ball successfully to trail runners.

Although now banned for his cocaine abuse, Matt Stevens of England was at the time one of the best exponents of a prop who had great running ability and a rugby brain that allowed him to cause havoc in the defensive systems of opposition sides.

Other props with this sort of running ability include Castro Giovanni of Italy (although not as demonstrative lately as he once was) and ‘The Beast’ of South Africa (Tendai Mtawarira).

Checkout out this video of him I found on YouTube.

A Tribute to Tendai Mtawarira – The Beast

As ‘The Beast’ demonstrates in this video he has all the running and tackling attributes needed to be a great prop. However it is important to remember that unless he continues to be a good on the first two points listed above then the tackling and running ability are less important.

The shift in skills needed by a prop has changed in my mind since professionalism because props need to be defensive and attacking players not just set piece players. However, I think the biggest change may well have come about through the sheer number of junior level back row players who convert to prop when they realise their chances of progressing in the back row are limited.

More on the conversion of back row to front row another time.