With Tony Buckley's departure to Sale and the scrum continuing to plague Munster, the question of front-row production has become a live one down south. The Irish Independent's Hugh Farrelly reports.
"In many ways, Tony Buckley was the great, white hope.
"Since he first caught the eye as Shannon's socks-rolled-down, front-row behemoth at the start of the last decade, 'Mushy' was seen as the long-term future for Munster and Ireland rugby, regularly referred to as 'the new John Hayes'.
"Ten years on and, despite 88 provincial caps and 21 for his country, the 30-year-old has never conclusively proven his worth at the top level in the one area where prop-forwards are defined -- consistency. There is no questioning Buckley's talent, his performance off the bench against Fiji in 2009 stands unchallenged as the most skilful by an Irish prop in the modern era, while there are other displays that readily come to mind."
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