TRU's Position Watch - Tightheads

Our third edition of ‘Premiership Position Watch’ completes the front row, as we take a look at the best tighthead props currently plying their trade in the Aviva Premiership.

Often seen as the difference between a good and bad scrum, tighthead prop is a position always under extreme scrutiny, not least since the introduction of the new engagement sequence in 2013. Although considered valuable and rare commodities in modern rugby, the Premiership currently has quite the production line churning away at the position, with highly-touted prospects such as Kyle Sinckler, Scott Wilson and Jake Cooper-Woolley, as well as recent England cap Kieran Brookes. None of those four were able to crack the top eight, but let’s take a closer look at those that have.

8. Lorenzo Cittadini, Wasps
The veteran Italian’s impact was clear for all to see against Saracens and Northampton, as he got the better of both Richard Barrington and Alex Corbisiero. If it were not for one Martin Castrogiovanni, Cittadini would likely have been considered one of Europe’s finest props over the past decade, but the size of Castrogiovanni’s shadow is considerable, resulting in Cittadini being underrated for much of his career. Coupled with the aforementioned Cooper-Woolley, the Wasps front row should surprise unwary looseheads this season.

7. Henry Thomas, Bath
There was no shortage of criticism for Thomas’ moves to Bath this summer, as it saw two of England’s top three tightheads fight it out for a single starting berth. The move was an excellent one for Bath however, who now have one of the best one-two punches at the position in domestic rugby, but how it will impact Thomas’ international ambitions remain to be seen. The young prop struggled from the bench in his Bath debut against former team, Sale, but his subsequent appearances against London Welsh and Leicester have gone much more to his liking, as he has gone penalty-free and exerted significant pressure on opposition looseheads.

6. Kieran Longbottom, Saracens
The versatile prop, who can play tighthead or loosehead, arrived at Saracens from Western Force and has already set his sights on representing England. Whilst the notion of an Australian prop representing England may cause a lot of mirth for followers of Australian and English rugby over the last 15 years, if Longbottom maintains the form that has seen him become an instant hint with the Saracens’ faithful, there is no reason why he can’t achieve his ambitions. Longbottom has made a solid start to his Premiership career, earning parity with Matt Mullan in his debut, before following that up with a comprehensive dismantling of Joe Marler at The Stoop.

5. Salesi Ma’afu, Northampton Saints
As mentioned earlier, the value put on tightheads and their contribution to a successful scrum has so far seen these rankings weighted far more favourably towards pure scrummagers, rather than players who contribute heavily in the loose. Ma’afu bucks that trend. Though his scrummaging is certainly not an area of weakness, Ma’afu’s work in the loose is what sets him apart from many of peers. A strong carrier and energetic contributor at the breakdown, Ma’afu is one of the more well-rounded props in the Premiership.

4. Juan Figallo, Saracens
Injury derailed Figallo’s Top 14 career, but if Saracens can get him fit and firing again, they will have bagged themselves one of the world’s elite tighthead props. As destructive a scrummager as there currently is in the game, Figallo’s drop down these rankings is based purely on concerns over his durability. With a tighthead trio of Figallo, Longbottom and James Johnston, there can be little to no doubt that the North Londoners have unrivalled resources at the position.

3. John Afoa, Gloucester
Concerns that Afoa may be past his best have been put to bed early by the former All Black, who looks to be fast settling into his new role at Kingsholm. The Kiwi may have struggled against Corbisiero in the season opener, but has begun to find his groove for Gloucester since then. Starting against Sale and making an appearance from the bench against Exeter, Afoa had the opposition front rows in all sorts of trouble and as chemistry grows between him and his front row colleagues, Gloucester’s scrum could become a real weapon this season.

2. David Wilson, Bath
Wilson is a player who went under-the-radar for years at Newcastle, but since his move to Bath, his reputation has slowly started to catch up with his undoubted ability. Following a successful tour of New Zealand this summer, Wilson has hit the ground running in the Premiership, and in no game was that more evident than Bath’s 45-0 destruction of Leicester. Up against Mulipola, who came in at 4th in our look at looseheads, Wilson took the Samoan to the cleaners, providing a firm foundation for his back line to flourish.

1. Dan Cole, Leicester Tigers
It is no coincidence that Leicester have struggled for form early this season and that their star tighthead is currently sidelined, as he recovers from neck surgery earlier in the year. Not only do they miss his refined technique at the set-piece, but also his contribution in the loose, particularly at the breakdown, has left a real hole in the Tigers’ line-up. Neck surgeries are often tricky things to bounce back from, especially for props, but until we see otherwise upon his return, Cole heads up these rankings as the best tighthead in the Aviva Premiership.