ANDREW PORTER
Club: Leinster
Position: Loosehead prop
Age: 26
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Height: 6ft
Weight: 114kg (17st 11lb)
Leinster appearances: 88
Points: 70
Why is he so important? His impact in general play since switching back to loosehead prop – where he played his rugby in his formative years, up to and including standout performances in an Ireland team that reached the Under-20 Junior World Championship final in 2016 –has facilitated a much more prominent role, where his athleticism and speed make him a real handful. Despite slimming down, he still possesses plenty of power to win the collisions and while there is still work to be done at scrum time, there’s no doubt that will be sorted.
Trivia: He is a keen swimmer and likes to take to the water with friends at Coliemore Harbour in Dalkey. One of his treasured possessions is a picture taken with the late, great Jonah Lomu when Porter was in primary school. He recalled: “Yeah, I’d only really heard of him through that PlayStation 1 game, Jonah Lomu Rugby. I can’t remember what year it came out, but I remember playing that in my cousin’s house.”
UINI ATONIO
Club: La Rochelle
Position: Tighthead prop
Age: 32
Height: 6ft 5in
Weight: 145kg (22st 11lb)
La Rochelle appearances: 210
Points: 35
Why is he so important? He is exceptionally tall for a prop but it doesn’t compromise his power in the scrum, as it’s an area of the game for which he is noted. His height makes him an invaluable lifter in the lineout while his bulk and power are also valuable attributes at the breakdown, in the tackle and in carrying ball. He has good hands and vision, strong through contact and has a fondness for offloads. He has a tendency to pick up the odd yellow card (10).
Trivia: According to some sources he is the heaviest – he weighed more than 150kg at one stage – player to line out out for a northern hemisphere team and second in the all-time list behind Fiji’s Bill Cavubati (165kg). Born in New Zealand, he played Under-20 rugby for Samoa before qualifying for France on the residency rule. He started all five games in his adopted home’s 2022 Six Nations Grand Slam-winning campaign. Apparently he has claustrophobia, so goodness knows how that affects him in the scrum.
