Lions v Wallabies head-to-heads: Andrew Porter v Allan Alaalatoa

Irish Times

7 days ago

Andrew Porter
Position:
Loosehead prop
Age:
29
Height:
6ft
Weight:
123kg (19st 5lbs)
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Lions Tests:
1
Points:
0
Why he's so important:
There is a two-fold reason why the Leinster and Ireland prop has found his way into the starting team from the bench last week. The first revolves around the scrum, a strength in general terms earlier in the Lions tour, but one of the few areas that Australia shaded in the first Test. He is part of an all-Irish frontrow that is used to working together as a unit.
Porter has fallen foul of referees in the past, unfairly so at times, so it's a huge investment in his capacity to present the right pictures for the officials and solidify this area.
Andrew Porter during a Lions training session at Xavier College in Melbourne on Thursday. Photograph: Dan Sheridan/Inpho
The second issue was the lack of positive impact in a collective sense when Lions head coach
Andy Farrell
went to his bench last week. The Wallabies dominance in the last half-hour, in the collisions and on the scoreboard, has seen Farrell made sweeping changes in the replacements, injuries notwithstanding, to seek greater impact.
Ellis Genge has been outstanding in his general play and especially his powerful carrying and it is that energy and dynamism to which his team will be looking when he does arrive. Porter knows that he can empty the tank in the first 50-60 minutes rather than having to play through 70 plus.
Trivia:
Porter made his Ireland senior debut against the USA in 2017, an honour he shares with James Ryan and Jacob Stockdale, with whom he previously had reached an Under-20 World Championship final the previous summer in Manchester.
Allan Alaalatoa
Position:
Tighthead prop
Age:
31
Height:
6ft
Weight:
125kg (19st 10lbs)
Caps:
81
Points:
5
Why he's so important:
A son of former Manu Samoa prop Vili Alaalatoa, and a younger brother of one-time
Leinster
prop Michael, Allan is noted for his strong work in the scrum, an area in which Australia won two penalties and a free-kick in the first Test.
Joe Schmidt
brought in fellow Kiwi Mike Cron to work with the Wallabies as scrum coach after his work with the All Blacks and as a consultant with World Rugby.
Allan Alaalatoa during a Wallabies Training training session at Lakeside Stadium in Melbourne on Thursday. Photograph:'You can really feel that change and that consistency and it probably does come from the quality of coaching that we've had and the simple messaging, but a clear understanding from the boys as well on how we can improve throughout that scrum set-piece,' Alaalatoa said of Cron's impact on their scrum.
'I think from where we were this time last year, there's been a massive growth around that, so I think for us it's just to continue to take that forward and have plenty of belief in our scrum.'
A three-time Brumbies player of the year, he became the 85th player to captain Australia against Italy and in doing so, he and Michael (Samoa), became the first set of brothers to captain different countries.
Trivia:
Alaalatoa is a rare phenomenon in that he represented Australia at three Under-20 World Championships in 2012, 2013 and 2014, a staggering achievement for a frontrow forward considering he was just 18 the first time around.
Andy Farrell's Lions fire the first shot in Australia
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