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<blockquote data-quote="big ginger 8" data-source="post: 1034352" data-attributes="member: 53057"><p>[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.the42.ie/tom-clarkson-rewarded-with-first-senior-contract-by-leinster-5408175-Apr2021/[/URL]</p><p></p><p>With regards to Porter switching back, it probably would make sense for Leinster, we now have more senior contracted THs than LHs and getting Porter and Furlong together on the pitch is quite tasty. Although I do think having the ability to bring on Porter for Furlong is something no other club can replicate and has allowed us to turn the screw on teams before along with keeping both guys pretty fresh. Of course we would be hoping that Alaaltoa can produce to a high level, mitigating that change and boosting us overall due to comparative lack of stars at LH. There's plenty of evidence that he can do that but it's not guaranteed, plenty of imports have come over and struggled to adapt, especially in their first year or so. Byrne and Dooley will never be standouts but I don't think they'll let us down either and with the level of the rest of our pack that's probably enough.</p><p></p><p>From an Ireland pov it's a much bigger risk. We'd be banking a lot on TOT. We can all see the potential there but there's a reason Moore started vs Northampton and will probably start against Leicester. His scrummaging isn't there yet and frankly there isn't any guarantee it ever will be. Farrell obviously does rate him but also appears to view him as a project. For every prop like Porter who develops their scrummaging there's a Buckley. I do agree there is a lot more apparent talent coming through at TH unless Jack Byrne absolutely bursts onto the stage.</p><p></p><p>Like LF said Porter has done a lot of work to get to where he is now. For a year or so after he switched sides he was getting dominated even at AIL level. It does appear from the WC warmups that he can switch back to LH with relative ease but obviously we want to avoid the scenario where he is constantly switching sides.</p><p></p><p>It's also interesting that the original props Leinster were rumoured to be after were Gomes Sa (a LH) and Isa Tu'ungafasi (mostly a LH), Alaaltoa has been primarily a TH but I believe has played LH for the Waratahs and Counties Manukau. I'm also not sure if Vakh is another guy who got converted from LH to TH.</p><p></p><p>It's an interesting dilemma facing the Leinster and Ireland coaching staffs, I think there's good reasons for going either way but I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that switching Porter is the plan at the moment.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="big ginger 8, post: 1034352, member: 53057"] [URL unfurl="true"]https://www.the42.ie/tom-clarkson-rewarded-with-first-senior-contract-by-leinster-5408175-Apr2021/[/URL] With regards to Porter switching back, it probably would make sense for Leinster, we now have more senior contracted THs than LHs and getting Porter and Furlong together on the pitch is quite tasty. Although I do think having the ability to bring on Porter for Furlong is something no other club can replicate and has allowed us to turn the screw on teams before along with keeping both guys pretty fresh. Of course we would be hoping that Alaaltoa can produce to a high level, mitigating that change and boosting us overall due to comparative lack of stars at LH. There's plenty of evidence that he can do that but it's not guaranteed, plenty of imports have come over and struggled to adapt, especially in their first year or so. Byrne and Dooley will never be standouts but I don't think they'll let us down either and with the level of the rest of our pack that's probably enough. From an Ireland pov it's a much bigger risk. We'd be banking a lot on TOT. We can all see the potential there but there's a reason Moore started vs Northampton and will probably start against Leicester. His scrummaging isn't there yet and frankly there isn't any guarantee it ever will be. Farrell obviously does rate him but also appears to view him as a project. For every prop like Porter who develops their scrummaging there's a Buckley. I do agree there is a lot more apparent talent coming through at TH unless Jack Byrne absolutely bursts onto the stage. Like LF said Porter has done a lot of work to get to where he is now. For a year or so after he switched sides he was getting dominated even at AIL level. It does appear from the WC warmups that he can switch back to LH with relative ease but obviously we want to avoid the scenario where he is constantly switching sides. It's also interesting that the original props Leinster were rumoured to be after were Gomes Sa (a LH) and Isa Tu'ungafasi (mostly a LH), Alaaltoa has been primarily a TH but I believe has played LH for the Waratahs and Counties Manukau. I'm also not sure if Vakh is another guy who got converted from LH to TH. It's an interesting dilemma facing the Leinster and Ireland coaching staffs, I think there's good reasons for going either way but I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that switching Porter is the plan at the moment. [/QUOTE]
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