LOOK THROUGH IRELAND’S teamsheet for tonight’s Nations Championship clash with Argentina [KO 8.10pm, Virgin Media One], and you’ll trace a finger over a number of players who have been itching for a night like this.
Hugo Keenan hasn’t played a home game for Ireland since the 2025 Six Nations. By the end of this year’s championship, Sam Prendergast’s form had dipped to a point he wasn’t making Andy Farrell’s matchday 23. His half-back partner, Craig Casey, has found most of his starting opportunities arrive against lower-ranked sides. Mack Hansen and Ryan Baird haven’t played a Test game since this time last year.
Andrew Porter falls into the same bracket, having last represented his country a full 12 months ago.
Advertisement
“I’m coming back in after what has been a year since I’ve been out with a few injuries,” says Porter. “So first, I’m just catching myself back up with everything and getting back in with the team and getting back to the systems and everything.”
It’s a huge month for this Ireland team, with the run-in to the 2027 World Cup now well underway. There is an acceptance within the group that Ireland have fallen behind the leading pack – South Africa, France and New Zealand – with this block of games a prime opportunity to start closing that gap again.
“I suppose it’s just about coming together as a team again. There are a lot of new faces in the squad, so it’s about bringing everyone along on the same journey and getting back to what we know we can do well.
Ireland loosehead Andrew Porter. Ben Brady / INPHO
“You’ve seen some great things in the provinces, and it’s about just bringing that all together in here under our system.
“As a forward, you’re looking to work on your setpiece, scrum and lineout. Those are the two big things that are obviously in my control. Those are the big strengths of those teams like South Africa, New Zealand, France.
“Those are huge strengths of theirs. So that’s somewhere we’ve been working on and making great headway on. That’s something we’ll be really looking to test ourselves with this November.”
Porter missed a lot of rugby over the past 12 months due to foot and calf problems, sitting out the Six Nations and Southern Hemisphere leg of the Nations Championship. The tighthead’s last outing in green was the bruising November 2025 loss to the Springboks.
“It’s incredibly frustrating. Like, missing games, you feel like you’re out of touch a small bit, where you feel like you aren’t where you should be and there’s only so much you can do.
“There’s only so much in your control, and all I was focused on was doing my rehab, doing my training, and I had plenty of time to do it.
“That’s the blessing in disguise a small bit, that at the end of last season I had the summer to get everything right and I didn’t have to rush back for anything. I could get things 100% and cover all bases.
“I really enjoyed that as well. At the same time, I enjoy the process, enjoy the training. Like, it was tough, but I really enjoyed just getting down, stuck into work, making myself better, and hopefully it pays off now this November.”
Of course, last year’s Springboks defeat is remembered as a harrowing night for Ireland at scrum time. Porter admits the experience motivated much of his recovery period.
Porter hasn't played for Ireland since last year's defeat to South Africa. Dan Sheridan / INPHO
“That’s the great thing about sport. If you’re lucky enough to keep playing you get another opportunity, another swing at it, and that’s the way I look at it. Incredibly excited to face that challenge and that opportunity head on.
“But the cliché is you can’t look too far ahead. It’s a huge game this week (v Argentina), next week (v Fiji), and then South Africa.
“But in all my time that I had off to think about a lot of things, I suppose I have been thinking about that one quite a lot. Incredibly excited for it.
“Like, that’s (the scrum) my main job really. That’s where I have to be better than I was last time, and that’s where I’ve had lots of time to keep kind of honing in on trying to perfect my craft.”
In terms of Porter’s scrum work, any changes made would be small tweaks, as opposed to any radical rethinking. The former St Andrew’s College man admits his general technique has changed very little over the years.
“No, it’s not hugely different. There’s only so much you can change in it and it obviously depends on who you’re coming up against, and you obviously have to be adaptable to your opposition as well. But it doesn’t change that much in fairness.
The prop has made a strong start to the season with Leinster. Steve Haag Sports / Christiaan Kotze/INPHO
“It’s just being smart with it. It’s not trying to hit and go on every one, which I’ve been guilty of in the past. Where you just want to get one up on your opposite number, but that’s not what it’s all about. It’s about being as a unit.”
Easier said than done when you want to make a statement at scrum time, say, against South Africa later this month.
“Yeah, exactly. But it’s about playing smarter, not harder, all the time. It’s just getting a balance between both.”
Earlier this season, Porter moved back across the front row to start at tighthead in Leinster’s URC meeting with the Lions. He confirms that option also remains a live possibility with Ireland, as he prepares to win his 80th Test cap.
The 30-year-old wins his 80th Test cap tonight. Nick Elliott / INPHO
“Yeah, you never know. If there are injuries or not, I suppose you always have to be adaptable in that sense, but that’s the type of person I am. I just try to be as adaptable as I can be to any situation and go where I’m needed.
“I go where I’m told, but I’m quite indifferent to it wherever, as (long as) I’m on the pitch. I’ll play either side. I’ve had most of my first Irish games were at tighthead and a lot of games were played there. So I’m just as comfortable playing there as I am loosehead. Obviously it takes a bit of learning again to get back to the level it was, but I’m more than happy to play there.”
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
'You feel like you're out of touch a small bit' - Porter glad to be back in green after injury
LOOK THROUGH IRELAND’S teamsheet for tonight’s Nations Championship clash with Argentina [KO 8.10pm, Virgin Media One], and you’ll trace a finger over a number of players who have been itching for a night like this.
Hugo Keenan hasn’t played a home game for Ireland since the 2025 Six Nations. By the end of this year’s championship, Sam Prendergast’s form had dipped to a point he wasn’t making Andy Farrell’s matchday 23. His half-back partner, Craig Casey, has found most of his starting opportunities arrive against lower-ranked sides. Mack Hansen and Ryan Baird haven’t played a Test game since this time last year.
Andrew Porter falls into the same bracket, having last represented his country a full 12 months ago.
“I’m coming back in after what has been a year since I’ve been out with a few injuries,” says Porter. “So first, I’m just catching myself back up with everything and getting back in with the team and getting back to the systems and everything.”
It’s a huge month for this Ireland team, with the run-in to the 2027 World Cup now well underway. There is an acceptance within the group that Ireland have fallen behind the leading pack – South Africa, France and New Zealand – with this block of games a prime opportunity to start closing that gap again.
“I suppose it’s just about coming together as a team again. There are a lot of new faces in the squad, so it’s about bringing everyone along on the same journey and getting back to what we know we can do well.
“You’ve seen some great things in the provinces, and it’s about just bringing that all together in here under our system.
“As a forward, you’re looking to work on your setpiece, scrum and lineout. Those are the two big things that are obviously in my control. Those are the big strengths of those teams like South Africa, New Zealand, France.
“Those are huge strengths of theirs. So that’s somewhere we’ve been working on and making great headway on. That’s something we’ll be really looking to test ourselves with this November.”
Porter missed a lot of rugby over the past 12 months due to foot and calf problems, sitting out the Six Nations and Southern Hemisphere leg of the Nations Championship. The tighthead’s last outing in green was the bruising November 2025 loss to the Springboks.
“There’s only so much in your control, and all I was focused on was doing my rehab, doing my training, and I had plenty of time to do it.
“That’s the blessing in disguise a small bit, that at the end of last season I had the summer to get everything right and I didn’t have to rush back for anything. I could get things 100% and cover all bases.
“I really enjoyed that as well. At the same time, I enjoy the process, enjoy the training. Like, it was tough, but I really enjoyed just getting down, stuck into work, making myself better, and hopefully it pays off now this November.”
Of course, last year’s Springboks defeat is remembered as a harrowing night for Ireland at scrum time. Porter admits the experience motivated much of his recovery period.
“That’s the great thing about sport. If you’re lucky enough to keep playing you get another opportunity, another swing at it, and that’s the way I look at it. Incredibly excited to face that challenge and that opportunity head on.
“But the cliché is you can’t look too far ahead. It’s a huge game this week (v Argentina), next week (v Fiji), and then South Africa.
“Like, that’s (the scrum) my main job really. That’s where I have to be better than I was last time, and that’s where I’ve had lots of time to keep kind of honing in on trying to perfect my craft.”
In terms of Porter’s scrum work, any changes made would be small tweaks, as opposed to any radical rethinking. The former St Andrew’s College man admits his general technique has changed very little over the years.
“No, it’s not hugely different. There’s only so much you can change in it and it obviously depends on who you’re coming up against, and you obviously have to be adaptable to your opposition as well. But it doesn’t change that much in fairness.
“It’s just being smart with it. It’s not trying to hit and go on every one, which I’ve been guilty of in the past. Where you just want to get one up on your opposite number, but that’s not what it’s all about. It’s about being as a unit.”
Easier said than done when you want to make a statement at scrum time, say, against South Africa later this month.
“Yeah, exactly. But it’s about playing smarter, not harder, all the time. It’s just getting a balance between both.”
Earlier this season, Porter moved back across the front row to start at tighthead in Leinster’s URC meeting with the Lions. He confirms that option also remains a live possibility with Ireland, as he prepares to win his 80th Test cap.
“Yeah, you never know. If there are injuries or not, I suppose you always have to be adaptable in that sense, but that’s the type of person I am. I just try to be as adaptable as I can be to any situation and go where I’m needed.
“I go where I’m told, but I’m quite indifferent to it wherever, as (long as) I’m on the pitch. I’ll play either side. I’ve had most of my first Irish games were at tighthead and a lot of games were played there. So I’m just as comfortable playing there as I am loosehead. Obviously it takes a bit of learning again to get back to the level it was, but I’m more than happy to play there.”
Watch this space.
Andrew Porter Ireland Nations Championship Raring to go Rugby