LOUGH SOLID

Jeremy hails Munster scrum as Ireland prepare to call prop

- BY DEREK FOLEY

JEREMY LOUGHMAN may have been born in Reno and schooled in Dublin but he has racked up almost 130 performances for Munster.

Arriving at the province in 2017/18, the highlight was his return from injury in 2023 to help the Reds to the URC title as he started in the final five wins that campaign all away from home.

Loughman's quiet efficiency in an Ireland shirt hasn't gone unnoticed either, not least as Andy Farrell frets about the Six Nations loosehead position with Andrew Porter, Paddy McCarthy and Finlay Bealham all ruled out.

He has five Irish caps to date and all five games were won – Fiji in 2022 (right), England and Samoa a year later, Romania at the 2023 World Cup as well as against Italy in the 2024 Six Nations.

So how close is Loughman to the 2026 Six Nations reckoning? Very close, you would think.