Latest news with #ThomasClarkson
RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Thomas Clarkson
NAME: Thomas Clarkson DOB: 07/04/1990 POSITION: Prop CLUB: Leinster IRELAND CAPS: 8 Thomas Clarkson became the 18th Ireland player to receive a call-up to the 2025 tour when he came in as injury cover ahead of the first Test. The Leinster front row has eight Ireland caps to his name since debuting against Argentina in 2024 and impressed in the Summer Series Tests in July. The 25-year-old started all three of Leinster's URC play-off games as they won their first trophy since 2021.
Irish Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Andy Farrell ponders key Lions decisions and Henry Pollock ups ante as first Test nears
Andy Farrell and his Lions coaching staff spent much of Sunday analysing their side's 48-0 win over an Invitational XV in the charming Adelaide Oval while returning to the warmer Brisbane weather in readiness for Saturday's first Test against the Wallabies . They have much to ponder but from a position of relative strength after a fifth win in a whirlwind 15-day trek around Australia. On arrival, the squad welcomed the latest late call-up, Jamie Osborne , and with English hooker Jamie George in transit for his third tour, the Lions also announced that Thomas Clarkson has been called up as tighthead cover. Two years out from the World Cup in Australia, this swells the Irish contingent in the playing squad to 18, of whom 14 are from Leinster. Clarkson's call-up strongly suggests Tadhg Furlong and Will Stuart will be preserved from the final midweek game on the Tuesday of the second Test against a First Nations and Pasifika XV in Melbourne. This in turn means Clarkson, and perhaps also Osborne, will feature in that game. Farrell has made no secret of his relief in having a week based in one city without a midweek game in which to draw breath and take stock. READ MORE 'We have got a normal week as we have all been craving,' he said on Saturday night. 'We train Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and we'll get to a performance day on Wednesday and everyone will know where they are at.' Both Farrell and his Wallabies counterpart Joe Schmidt will unveil their first Test teams on Thursday. On the back of a less than commanding 36-24 win over the Brumbies last Wednesday, by what appeared to be a shadow Test side, Saturday's 48-0 win over an AU/NZ Invitational XV has revived debate about some positions. The misfortune that has ruled out Garry Ringrose and Blair Kinghorn due to the delayed concussion and knee injuries they suffered in Canberra last Wednesday, coupled with the assured performances of Huw Jones and Hugo Keenan in Adelaide, look to have resolved the starting outside centre and fullback slots in the first Test. But 14, 12, one, six and seven all remain open to serious debate. Mack Hansen enhanced his claims for a starting spot against Australia with his performance for the British and Irish Lions last Saturday. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho Tommy Freeman brings some run of prolific form – 21 tries in 29 games for Northampton, England and the Lions – but Mack Hansen's latest demonstration of all-round skill, high work-rate and playmaking last Saturday was the kind of roving wing play Farrell loves. With Finn Russell to start alongside Jamison Gibson-Park at halfback, and the in-form Jones seemingly cast in stone at outside centre for the first Test pending Ringrose's return to the mix, there will be a case for a making it a 10-12-13 all-Scottish axis by naming Sione Tuipuloto at inside centre. However, Farrell has been painstakingly and systematically juggling his resources; witness five different midfield partnerships in the first five games, one of which, Bundee Aki and Jones, performed well in the 52-12 win over the Reds. Farrell also strongly reiterated that the Test midfield will not necessarily be chosen on the basis of national pairs. 'We look at what's right for the team,' he said. 'Two or three weeks ago, that went completely out of the window. I can't remember looking at a sheet over the last few weeks and thinking 'that combination has to happen because of the country that it's from'. That doesn't exist in this group.' It could well be, therefore, that as with the halfbacks, the midfield will have an Irish-Scottish blend, while despite Duhan van der Merwe's hat-trick in Adelaide, James Lowe looks more likely to start against the Wallabies next Saturday on the left wing. Which brings us to the pack. Andrew Porter has only made one start to date and has had, by his standards, a relatively light load – he was left on the bench for 80 minutes in Adelaide as Pierre Schoeman went the distance. Dan Sheehan cannot play against Australia on Saturday but Andrew Porter has a strong chance of featuring. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho This suggests Porter will be in the matchday 23, although Ellis Genge packed packed down with Dan Sheehan and Furlong, the likely starters at hooker and tighthead, in the previous two games, so that is open to speculation. Joe McCarthy still looks most likely to partner the captain Maro Itoje in the secondrow, but even on the premise that Jack Conan is chosen to continue where he left off in South Africa, there are any number of potential combinations at six and seven. Tom Curry, Tadhg Beirne , Curry again, Beirne again (after Henry Pollock was forced to withdraw), Ollie Chessum and last Saturday, Pollock, have worn the six jersey, as Farrell and co have oscillated between a hybrid lock and more of an out-and-out flanker. Meanwhile, Jac Morgan and Josh van der Flier alternated at seven over the first four games, before Curry started there against the Brumbies and then Morgan made his third start last Saturday. The removal of both Beirne and Ben Earl for the final quarter against the Invitational XV strongly indicates that they will be in the match-day 23 for the first Test anyway, perhaps along with Pollock in a stacked bench. In his inimitably irreverent way, the squad's youngest player has helped to crank up the ante as well. After Saturday's win, Pollock was asked whether a 3-0 series win was the target, and he didn't hesitate when replying. 'We want to come here and be the best Lions team ever. We've been talking about that loads and yeah, 3-0 is definitely on the table, hopefully.' That should go down well hereabouts.
Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Leinster Lions grow in numbers as prop Clarkson gets surprise call-up from Farrell
Ireland tighthead prop Thomas Clarkson has been called up by the British & Irish Lions, bringing the number of Leinster players in Andy Farrell's squad to 14. The Irish province will have as many representatives as England on this tour to Australia when the 25-year-old with eight international caps arrives in Brisbane. Clarkson was a try-scorer in Ireland's record-breaking 106-7 victory over Portugal in Lisbon on Saturday night and is being brought into the Lions camp as an additional tighthead with the tourists insisting none of their three players in that position are injured ahead of this Saturday's first Test against the Wallabies. Clarkson could well feature on the bench in the Lions' final midweek fixture of the tour in Melbourne next Tuesday if Farrell has decided not to risk one of his two Test tightheads, most likely Tadhg Furlong and Will Stuart, between the first and second Tests. The Lions welcomed another Ireland and Leinster player to the tour on their arrival in Brisbane on Sunday, when utility back Jamie Osborne linked up with the squad. Osborne was called in as cover for the injured Blair Kinghorn last week having played for Ireland in their victory over Georgia in Tbilisi last Saturday. England and Saracens hooker Jamie George is currently in transit and will join the squad in the coming days from Argentina as cover for the injured Luke Cowan-Dickie.
RTÉ News
6 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Thomas Clarkson the latest Irish player called up by Lions
The Irish dominance of the 2025 British and Irish Lions is continuing, with Thomas Clarkson becoming the latest Ireland international to be called up to the squad in Australia. The Lions have confirmed that the tighthead prop is to join the squad as cover ahead of the first Test against the Wallabies on Saturday. Clarkson, who made his eighth Ireland appearance in last night's 106-7 win against Portugal, is now the eighteenth Irish player to be called up by head coach Andy Farrell, and fourteenth from Leinster. The 25-year-old caps off a breakthrough season with a dream Lions call, having played 26 games for club and country, scoring three tries. The Lions have not confirmed whether or not Clarkson's call-up is injury-related. Tadhg Furlong is favourite to start in Saturday's first Test, and was rested for yesterday's 48-0 win against the AUNZ XV, while Will Stuart and Finlay Bealham both appeared to come through that game unscathed. With one more mid-week game to come against a First Nations and Pasifika XV on Tuesday 22 July, it's possible that Farrell wants to keep both of his Test tightheads on ice that week. It's been a busy week of call-ups, with Clarkson the third player to be drafted in recent days. England's Jamie George is currently in transit from Argentina after he was called up as cover for Luke Cowan-Dickie, who suffered a concussion in Saturday's win in Adelaide. And Clarkson's Leinster team-mate Jamie Osborne has just arrived in Brisbane, having been called in as cover for both Blair Kinghorn and Garry Ringrose.
Irish Times
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Patient Thomas Clarkson ready to put his hand up for Ireland
Top Cat! The most effectual! Top Cat! Who's intellectual! Close friends get to call him 'TC,' Providing it's with dignity! READ MORE Thomas Clarkson , known as TC to his team-mates and friends, gets the reference to the lyrics of the 1960s Hanna-Barbera cartoon, Top Cat. Leinster forwards coach Robin McBryde got there first when he played the theme tune for the 25-year-old tighthead prop. He's a good sport when the tune breaches the peace in the sweaty confines of a Portakabin at Ireland 's training ground on the outskirts of Lisbon. He occasionally mops his brow and it's nothing to do with the questions, rather the lack of air conditioning in 30 plus degree temperatures. Clarkson lived in Brittas Bay until he was nine, played rugby for Wicklow RFC, before his family – dad Finbarr, mum Nina, and his siblings, Catey, Freddie and Dominic – moved to Blackrock where he went to school, first in Willow Park and then in the senior school. He swam competitively, butterfly his stroke of choice, before rugby subsumed his interest. Rugby was a good fit. 'I was always the bigger kid, so I suppose it was always kind of fun just running through. I always got the ball on tap penalties and stuff,' Clarkson explains. His current Ireland team-mate Nick Timoney coached him in first year. He won a Schools Senior Cup under Liam Turner's captaincy, a Grand Slam with the Irish under-20s in 2019 (the first of two years on the age-grade team), and toured South Africa with Emerging Ireland in 2022. Smaller in stature relative to the behemoths he faced when playing international age-grade rugby, he quickly realised that good technique was a prerequisite. Thomas Clarkson (right) with Peter O'Mahony during Ireland's Autumn Nations fixture against Argentina at the Aviva last November. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho 'I was never the biggest, because coming out of school I was pretty small, only 110kg or something like that. I'm 128kg (now), or something like that. There were lads (at under-20s) that had played (in the French) Top 14 and the (English) Premiership. They were up in the 120kgs then, so I knew I had to be technically good.' Clarkson smiles in recounting the struggle, not so much putting on size but muscle. 'I was pretty chubby leaving school. I got put into fat camp with Dave Fagan (the late Leinster strength & conditioning coach). 'I was put on gym-heavy programmes, trying to put on muscle and get stronger. You see some of lads coming through now, like (Alex) Usanov and Paddy (McCarthy), putting up big numbers in the gym. I was nowhere near that. It's something I had to work on a lot over the last few years. It's probably why it took me a few years before I started playing in bigger games and capped and stuff. 'You can put on loads of weight, and it can be bad weight. You can't move with it on. I think I took it a bit slower, it took me a few years to put it on. Now, I feel like I can move better than when I was lighter.' Ireland's interim head coach Paul O'Connell referenced Clarkson's diligence in working to get the right body shape for a tighthead prop. 'He's been excellent for us. We had him on the Emerging Ireland tour and he's a considerably bigger man since then. Obviously, he's in a pushing competition there in the front row. 'He's worked really hard, even from the Six Nations to the summer tour, he looked even in better shape again and it's a great sign of a guy because he's in that position where he's trying to put on size. It can be hard work at times when you're playing games and training. 'Players know good players. Johnny (Sexton) would have always said that (Clarkson) is a very good footballer, and paid him compliments about his all-round game. He's very comfortable on the ball. He had a few good, tough carries (in Tbilisi), particularly early in the game. Like all these guys they just need time in the saddle. 'There's plenty of things from the game he needs to work on, a little bit on maul defence, but he gets a chance now to go and do it again and show that he can improve.' Thomas Clarkson in action for Leinster against the Bulls in the URC final in June. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho Clarkson made his Leinster debut five years ago and by his own admission he wasn't ready. He isn't patient by nature. 'It was frustrating. I made my debut quite early. There were a few injuries. I probably got thrown in before I'd shown I was ready. 'The fact that I got a taste of that so early, I didn't have to wait so long to break through. It's been frustrating. There have been a few lows.' He continued: 'At the end of the 2023 season, I had a run of games (for Leinster) where the scrums went really badly. It was during the Six Nations (and then) we went to South Africa, I got absolutely destroyed. '(It's the) worst place to go if you're low on confidence. That was probably the lowest. Since then, I've been building nicely.' It taught Clarkson resilience. The lessons were occasionally painful, but the quality of the person and the player ensured he made progress. The rehabilitation process was overseen by Cian Healy, Andrew Porter, Tadhg Furlong and Rabah Slimani in Leinster training. 'You're scrumming against (them), you must learn. When you do get to the standard it gives you confidence for the matches.' Psychologically it allowed Clarkson to shed any doubts. The last couple of years he's kicked on, winning his first Ireland cap against Argentina last November having originally been brought into the squad as a training panellist. Injuries within the squad provided the opportunity, but Clarkson grabbed it with both hands. In Lisbon he will win his eighth cap, a tally he's accumulated in eight months. He's had to remain patient too. 'Tadhg (Furlong) and Slim (Rabah Slimani) got the nod for those few European games. I was getting the matches in between and felt like I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to play well. It wasn't happening and I was feeling a bit low about it. The Glasgow game was when I felt that was probably my best game. 'Different things are expected of you (with Ireland). I want to put my hand up here. These are probably lesser profile games for the public but it's important for me that I can come in off the back of playing well for Leinster and translate it to playing well (for Ireland). 'You're not just going to walk in having played well on the outside. Obviously, they have the lads that they can trust, and they've been in the system for years.' He's earning that faith and trust, game by game. And maybe one day very soon, like Top Cat, Clarkson can become 'the indisputable leader of the gang'.
