Versatility was a running theme this week. Over his career, Andrew Porter has played on both sides of the scrum. Until retiring last year, Cian Healy, largely seen as a loosehead prop, could and did play all three positions in the frontrow.
In 2023, at the age of 35, Healy played hooker in a Six Nations match against Scotland despite never having featured there before. He minded the scrum, while Josh van der Flier was charged with lineout throwing.
Tadhg Beirne regularly changes between the backrow and secondrow, while Jamie Osborne plays both fullback and centre.
When South Africa opted for a 7-1 bench split playing against Ireland in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, the lone back on their bench was a scrumhalf, Cobus Reinach, who could also play on the wing.
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The trend towards such extreme bench splits has encouraged players to have more flexibility and adaptiveness.
I was able to develop a lot of skills from rugby league players in terms of tackling, running lines, ball handling. So I felt like I got a little bit of both worlds
To be prepared, Irish scrumhalf Jamison Gibson-Park practices on the wing at training. He understands that if head coach Andy Farrell decides on a 6-2 split, wing could be in his future against England on Saturday.
“Yeah, for sure,” he said. “It’s something we have to be over the detail on, and be ready to do. We have some pretty versatile backs across the back line, as well as some versatile forwards who can fill in on the wing if they need to.
“It’s part and parcel really of playing 6-2, but yeah, I’d love to get a run on the wing.”
Last weekend, in Ireland’s match against Italy, Irish tighthead prop Tom O’Toole came into the match in the second half and went into the loosehead position. Around five minutes from the end, in the shadow of the Irish posts, O’Toole crucially locked out what had been a problematic area for Ireland - the scrum.
Had Italy earned a scrum penalty, the match could have easily ended with Ireland on the wrong side of the scoreboard.
“I’ve had a little bit of exposure over the last couple of years behind the scenes, up at Ulster, training at loosehead in scrum sessions,” said O’Toole.
“I had an opportunity against Fiji not so long ago, that was my first taste of international rugby at loosehead. I was just delighted to get an opportunity. As I said. I was confident enough in the preparation I’ve done in the last couple of years.
The trend towards extreme bench splits has encouraged players to have more flexibility and adaptiveness
“When there’s been talk about doing loosehead, it’s always something I keep chipping away at behind the scenes, keep working at. So, to get an opportunity . . . I was delighted to put that training into performance.”
Frontrow injuries to Porter, Paddy McCarthy, Jack Boyle and, up until last week, Tadhg Furlong have forced Farrell’s hand in recent games. But around the camp, Porter is one of the players O’Toole has gleaned experience from about switching sides. He spent several years as a tighthead prop for Leinster and Ireland, backing up Furlong for the bigger games. Switching sides allowed him to blossom and become a starter for Farrell and the British & Irish Lions.
“Yeah, me and Ports, we keep in communication,” said O’Toole. “I think reaching out to the guys that have been there and done that before and have played at the highest level, it’s really important just to get a couple of things that you can implement into your game.”
Potentially facing into an England frontrow of Ellis Genge, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Joe Heyes at Twickenham, every pointer is welcome for the Meath-born, Australian-raised O’Toole. The 27-year-old went to school at Padua College in Brisbane, playing rugby union and rugby league, before moving to Belfast’s Campbell College.
“I think, growing up, it was nice to have a bit of both (league and union) because during school (Padua) I was able to develop a lot of skills from rugby league players in terms of tackling, running lines, ball handling,” added O’Toole. “So I felt like I got a little bit of both worlds.”
It was John Fogarty, the Irish assistant coach, who first encouraged O’Toole to explore positions.
“Yeah it was John Fogarty who gave me the idea,” said O’Toole. “I hadn’t really put too much thought into it. I’d last played loosehead at school, I did a little bit at U-20s.
“When you look at the likes of South Africa, who have guys that can cover across the board, I feel like if I can cover across the board whether it’s province or international, that can only be a real positive thing.”
And now a normal thing too.
