Porter gets his wings

[BlueBlue]

Apparently Porters conversion to Tighthead is going well. He reached the important milestone of getting his wings recently.

[simonokeeffe]

Apparently Porters conversion to Tighthead is going well. He reached the important milestone of getting his wings recently.

http://www.the42.ie/andrew-porter-tight ... 6-Apr2017/

if anyone wants that explained, but it sounds like his conversion is going well

[Logorrhea]

http://www.the42.ie/andrew-porter-tight ... 6-Apr2017/

if anyone wants that explained, but it sounds like his conversion is going well

Not so sure. It sounds like Mike Ross is encouraging through some tough times.

[mildlyinterested]

http://www.the42.ie/andrew-porter-tight ... 6-Apr2017/

if anyone wants that explained, but it sounds like his conversion is going well

Not so sure. It sounds like Mike Ross is encouraging through some tough times.

Yeah, the piece is trying to spin it in a certain way.

In reality if Porter becomes a HC level tighthead it will be a surprise.

[wixfjord]

There’s a weird amount of negativity around Porter moving across. I think it’s a great decision for Leinster.
If Mike Ross agrees then who are we to argue!

If Porter becomes a HC level tighthead it will be a surprise.

Would it? A world class underage LH with quality coaching and all the physical attributes to play TH, and plenty of time to do it in.

[mildlyinterested]

There’s a weird amount of negativity around Porter moving across. I think it’s a great decision for Leinster.
If Mike Ross agrees then who are we to argue!

If Porter becomes a HC level tighthead it will be a surprise.

Would it? A world class underage LH with quality coaching and all the physical attributes to play TH, and plenty of time to do it in.

Yes, it would. It's not easily done, more often that not it doesn't work out.

[wixfjord]

There’s a weird amount of negativity around Porter moving across. I think it’s a great decision for Leinster.
If Mike Ross agrees then who are we to argue!

If Porter becomes a HC level tighthead it will be a surprise.

Would it? A world class underage LH with quality coaching and all the physical attributes to play TH, and plenty of time to do it in.

Yes, it would. It's not easily done, more often that not it doesn't work out.

'More often than not' isn't taking this situation on its merits though. Porter is a special talent with all the potential needed.

You wouldn't happen to be goreyguy reincarnate by any chance?

[simonokeeffe]

He has regenerated

[mildlyinterested]

Porter is a special talent at LH.

At TH he is very much a project... he has not shown he is a special talent at that position.. and there is a big difference.

[neiliog93]

I reckon he'll make it. He's only 21, and they've already given him a full contract. Has the (lean) bulk for tight-head, which is very rare, especially for a guy who's only about 6' tall.

[mildlyinterested]

They had to give him a full contract otherwise he was leaving.

Maybe i'll be wrong and this time next season Porter is flying it as 3rd choice TH for leinster... just dont think its very likely

[wixfjord]

I've a lot of faith that we'll see Porter do well at TH.
It's a great risk for Leinster in any case.

[mildlyinterested]

For leinster its a great move given depth chart at LH and TH

[Peg Leg]

Just assumed he meant traps before reading the article. Mahoosive

[wixfjord]

Furlong speaking about Porter today:

There are some young tightheads coming through too. Andrew Porter is going to have a big future in the game.
Just seeing him week-in, week-out, he’s after adapting to tighthead extremely quickly, a lot more quickly than John Fogarty would have imagined I think.
Even other tightheads looking at him, he’s probably after adapting a bit too quickly!
He’s a bit of a physical specimen, a bit of a freak around the place. There’s going to be great competition there next year.

[Dave Cahill]

Porter is a special talent at LH..

No he isn't. Hes okay, but nothing special. He's great in open play, but thats neither here nor there when it comes to whichever side he scrums down on.

He has a chance as a tighthead that I don't see him getting at loosehead where he's what, currently sixth on the roster as things stand? At tighthead, after Furlong and Bent, its all to play for.

[El Diablo]

Apparently Porters conversion to Tighthead is going well. He reached the important milestone of getting his wings recently.

I had a good look at him in the recent AIL match for UCD against Trinity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QP6whuhQOJw
He scored the opening try, made some good carries and he was immensely strong in the contact. However he had a very mixed day in the scrum. The Trinity scrum had the upper hand most of the day. Hard to say if he was the problem but THs get all the praise when the scrum goes well so I suppose he has to take some responsibility. He certainly wasn't a standout player in that game.

[BlueBlue]

There's an awful lot of mixing fact with opinion here.

The fact is the coaches and professionals in charge of developing Porter believe he has what it takes to be a TH.

There is a bar stool based squint your eyes stick your thumb in the air view that he will never make a TH, and in some cases an opinion that he is not even a more than ordinary LH.

We are all fans lads and we have to discuss these things, but as Peter De Villiers said to an upstart journalist... " We both pick our teams on a Thursday, but my team plays on Saturday".

I think the coaches are best placed to decide if he has what it takes to be a TH, as a fan I'm going to watch with interest and hope it works out for Porter BIG TIME!

More from the great man... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rGmOLm3WYI

[BlueBlue]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWaURXARPyY

[Flash Gordon]

Obviously Joe and the Irish coaching team rate him as he's been brought into the full Ireland squad. We shouldn't lose sight of the fact that this lad was playing schools rugby in 2014 and is on an ever increasing upward curve. He has talent and he's also incredibly dedicated and hard working so he has an excellent chance to be a front line player and win caps for Ireland.