MAKE NO MISTAKE, Andrew Porter wants to stay put at tighthead. In recent weeks the Leinster prop has once again been subject to speculation surrounding his position, with Andy Farrell’s decision to only name two looseheads in his Six Nations squad suggesting Porter may be shifted back across the scrum if needs be, a notion Farrell hasn’t been in any rush to dispel. 

If such a move did come to fruition, it would be desperately unfair on the player. Porter of course started his career as a loosehead and has previously filled in there for Ireland, but the bulk of his senior career has come in the number three slot, to much success. Tadhg Furlong’s year out of the game has only served to accelerate his progression.

Yet of Porter’s 32 Ireland caps to date, only 10 have been starts. Six of those starts came last year alone. The desire to nail down his best position is understandable, and yesterday Porter offered an assured response when asked if he feels he is best served solely focusing on the tighthead position.

“Yeah, definitely. The last few games in the Autumn Nations Cup, I did get really good exposure and good game time in the number three jersey,” he said.

“Obviously there are some parts that I will definitely be looking to improve on, but for the moment, I am definitely trying to nail down that spot, and hopefully hold onto the jersey.

“It’s something that I have to keep working on because no game is the same really, particularly in the tighthead position. It can be tricky at times, but it’s something I am really trying to learn from in each game and push on my own performance as well.”

Life at tighthead has been good to Porter, so it’s understandable that he isn’t keen on the idea of being redeployed.

Moving from one position to the other involves a lot more than wearing a different number on your back.

Andrew Porter and fellow Leinster tighthead Tadhg Furlong. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO

“The plays are different but when it comes down to the scrummaging, when you first move over it’s like writing with your bad hand,” Porter explains. “Before the World Cup I’d have been doing a bit of loosehead work as well and it’s not as easy as riding a bike. It takes time, it’s tricky to get used to each position but, like I say, I’m trying to nail down the tighthead position and that’s all I’m focussing on.”

He has lined up at loosehead for “one or two set-ups” in training over the last week, so the option is clearly being considered, but Porter says his main concern is fending off the competition of the returning Furlong, a genuine world class talent who wants his jersey back.

“It’s a huge boost for the squad, you’d definitely notice his presence in the team and in camp so it’s great having him back,” Porter says. “And for myself, it’s great having the competition and pressure because when it comes down to it, it’s the pressure behind when you’re fighting for that position that really, truly drives performance in training and in games as well.

“He is a world class tighthead, one of the best in the world, so it is great being able to have that opportunity to have that as competition and to also have him here to learn from as well, so it is great in two senses. It’s great having him here and also Tom O’Toole as well to keep driving performance and keep driving competition.”

It’s been a difficult year for Furlong, last Saturday’s 40 minute run-out with Leinster his first bit of game time in 11 months.

“It’s obviously been a tough road for him this year. You never want to see one of your teammates out injured and I think it just shows his guts and determination to come back from it, because obviously I wouldn’t really know from experience, but when you’re out injured for that long it can be really tough. You can be out of the loop or whatever, but it’s been great being able to see Tadhg in Leinster, the work he’s been doing. He’s a work-horse really.

“You see him in the gym in the early hours in the morning and he is putting the work in training and he is getting all his rehab done as well over the last few months.

“So seeing him back in camp now is a great boost and he is a great lad to have around the place. It just goes to show all the work he has put in over the last few months to get his body right and to be where he is now.”

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