He received a lot of heat a few years ago.
Munster scuppered Leinster’s URC hopes back in 2023, when Jack Crowley came into their back yard and stole the semi-final with his iconic 78th-minute drop goal.
They would go on to defeat the Stormers in the final, and it meant everything for a side who had not won a trophy since 2011.
For Leinster, while it stung to lose so late against their biggest rivals, the URC paled in comparison to the Champions Cup, and this was reflected in what was a largely second-string side against Munster.
It was also reflected in comments from Andrew Porter heading into the Champions Cup final against La Rochelle week after.
He said: “It is an incredibly special and important week, but the coaches have been great in terms of moving on from the weekend and focusing on the next job at hand.
“To be honest, it’s a bigger job now.
“It’s about getting that fifth star on the jersey. You don’t see many URC or PRO14s or whatever you have on the jersey. You see those stars that are on the jersey, so that’s the thing we are looking forward to the most this week.”
Was he wrong? No. But after losing to La Rochelle, his words were portrayed as arrogant, as his side went empty handed for the season.
However, as Leinster chase their first league title since 2021, the loosehead prop admits that he was “a bit ahead of himself” with his comments, and has spoken more highly of the URC and the want to win it this season.
Speaking to SportsJOE, he said: “Yeh maybe I was a bit ahead of myself there.
“I think people can take things out of context at times.
“It was probably a bit of frustration on my end that we didn’t get over the line the week before.
“But I suppose that is kind of the beauty of professional sport, you can come so close and get so far.
“But yeh, it can be devastating in the end when you don’t come up with anything to show for it after all the hard work you put into the season, and how well our form has been up to now.
“It would be great to finish off the season with a bit of silverware and that’s what we’re trying to do, so take each game as it comes.”
Leading high-protein performance brand Grenade has launched its latest campaign – “Join the Revolution” – a nationwide initiative aimed at supporting grassroots sports across Ireland. As part of the campaign, Grenade will sponsor kits for 20 sports teams, offering them full branded kits, product hampers, and custom team banners to supercharge their community spirit and performance.
Fronting the campaign is Irish rugby player Andrew Porter, Grenade ambassador. Porter, known for his powerhouse performances on the field and his advocacy for mental health, is lending his voice to support local clubs that are often the heartbeat of Irish towns and communities.
