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Lions cry off Porter celebrates return to action with Leinster try
It was quite the first half in Dublin on Saturday for Andrew Porter, the Leinster front-rower who was playing for the first time since a foot injury cruelly forced him to cry off from the Lions tour before Warren Gatland’s squad got to assemble at base camp in Jersey. The front-rower suffered the injury on Rainbow Cup duty with Leinster in Glasgow on the first weekend of June, the damage proving sufficient enough that he wouldn’t be able to tour and it led to original headline omission Kyle Sinckler getting called up.
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Sixteen weeks later, Porter finally returned to action and to say it was eventful would be an understatement. The fun and games had started on the Friday with Leo Cullen naming the tighthead as the starting loosehead and the intrigue was added to by having regular loosehead Cian Healy covering tighthead from the replacements bench.
Within minutes of Porter’s comeback, there was a feisty exchange with Bismarck du Plessis when a scrum penalty was awarded to Leinster at the game’s first set-piece, but then came the emotional release that made all local hearts swoon.
A cheeky little kick by Johnny Sexton had caused consternation in the visiting Bulls defence and when some control was gained on the ball, it was Porter who crossed the line to score the converted try that put Leinster 17 points clear just 13 minutes into a round one match in the revamped United Rugby Championship. So happy was Porter with the score, he even chucked the ball into the crowd before his teammates arrived to congratulate him.
The adventure didn’t end there for the fit-again Porter as he was to spend some first-half time in the blood bin after taking quite a whack to the head in an accidental tackle collision. However, he returned before the interval to warn applause from the Lansdowne Road crowd and he went on to play 19 minutes of the second half before getting called ashore.
#LAIvBUL 13 nóim
Laighin 15
Vodacom Bulls 0
Dara úd an chluiche do na Laighnigh bainte amach ag Andrew Porter! Agus nach é atá sásta faoi! ?
BEO ar @TG4TV anois!@URCOfficial ar @Rugbai_BEO pic.twitter.com/4xpBffSQCV
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) September 25, 2021
It was fellow Lions prop Tadhg Furlong who best described the sense of disappointment that unfolded when it emerged that the Leinster and Ireland player had to quit the Lions last June before it had even begun, Porter’s tour involvement restricted to an administration camp in London. “It’s so tough on Andrew Porter, I only found out on social media,” explained Furlong when the tour got going.
“I didn’t know. I was absolutely… I was on the floor because I know how hard he works and how diligent he is and how well he has performed all year. I get on well with Kyle and power to him, he had some adversity there and he spoke about it and he is on the rebound now and sport is like that sometimes.”
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Powerful read on what Andrew Porter went through to be selected for the Lions before missing out through injury ? https://t.co/Bfuqj69B5i
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 7, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Farcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
7 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
7 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
61 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
7 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
61 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
61 Go to comments