McGrath ready to cut loose against Samoa

Jack McGrath is one of a growing breed of homegrown loose-head prop forwards giving new Irish coach Joe Schmidt added cover in that area.

However, the coach is struggling to get the right balance either side of the scrum, with a serious shortage of suitable tight head props available. McGrath clearly doesn’t solve that problem but adds to a long list of loose heads at Schmidt’s disposal.

McGrath, 24, earns his stripes for the first time at the Aviva Stadium in Ireland’s opening Guinness international clash, against Samoa tomorrow, winning that first cap ahead of his much more experienced Leinster colleague Cian Healy.