JACK BOYLE is high up in the chasing pack after the IRFU made his position a priority.
Leinster prop Boyle, 22, is on the fast track to the top having recently trained with Ireland.
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Jack Boyle during a Leinster rugby squad training at UCD in DublinCredit: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
And he made his European debut when he started against Bristol Bears last weekend.
Boyle is set to start again in Saturday’s URC clash with Connacht and will hope to put pressure on international looseheads Andrew Porter and Cian Healy in the coming months.
The desire to add strength in depth behind Porter and tighthead Tadhg Furlong was one of the reasons why the IRFU decreed that provinces could not sign overseas props for the time being.
But Boyle admitted that working with French tighthead Rabah Slimani at the Blues is an additional benefit.
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He said: “You have to always back yourself.
“I feel like if I’m playing well then I deserve to play. But at the same time if they’re bringing in the likes of Rabah Slimani, you need to try and get as much information out of him as possible.
“I know he’s at tighthead now but you don’t look at it in the way of, ‘He’s blocking whoever’, you have to learn off him.
“He’s there to help you as well, it’s not just to block you.”
And he takes the same view with Ireland pair Porter and Healy who are ahead of him in the pecking order.
Boyle admitted: “Ports has been unbelievable to me. Not only Ports but someone like Cian Healy and then the likes of Rabah Slimani and Tadhg Furlong as well.
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“I am lucky and grateful and privileged to be in a position I am in — learning off four or five of the best in the business.
“I suppose it’s a great, vast knowledge from different parts of world rugby, not only Irish rugby. I’m grateful and delighted I get to learn off these lads.
“Ever since I got into the system two or three years ago, Cian Healy and Andrew Porter have been unbelievable to me, watching training with me, helping me, giving me little nuggets.
“Someone like Cian Healy, no disrespect, he’s been around for so long, he’s so much knowledge to give.
“And he is at that stage in his career where he is giving extra time to me, even younger lads like Paddy McCarthy.
“He’s unbelievably special in the group, I think we’ll only acknowledge it when he’s gone, he’s added so much to the younger lads coming through.
“So we’re in a very special and unique situation in club rugby, have the likes of those four or five front-rowers to learn off.”
INJURY BLOW
Only an unfortunate pre-season injury meant he missed the Emerging Ireland tour to South Africa in October.
But Boyle quickly found out after that how highly regarded he by the Ireland coaching staff — when he was invited in to train with Andy Farrell’s panel during the November internationals.
The former Ireland Under-20 star said: “I was delighted to get into the environment.
“You hear lads speaking about it so much, always ranting and raving about it, how much they love the environment and it’s the people in there, coaches, players, backroom staff, that make it special.
“So I suppose getting a taster is something that makes me hungry to try to get back there.
“The ball’s in my court. They had a look at me and it’s up to me to push on and hopefully get back into camp.
“I suppose there’s a path there but it’s up to me to keep playing well, to put one foot in front of the other game by game and see how I go.”
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