Record Ireland caps holder still the best around, says Andrew Porter
Cian Healy made history on Friday night in Ireland's win over Argentina when he joined Brian O'Driscoll as the most capped Irish player ever. And he is set to eclipse BOD in the coming week.
Cian Healy has plenty left to give for Ireland claims Andrew Porter, who paid tribute to his prop colleague after Healy levelled the caps record on Friday night.
Healy, 37, came off the bench in the 22-19 victory over Argentina to join Brian O'Driscoll on 133 appearances for his country.
And the man whose nickname is 'Church' in the Leinster and Ireland dressing-rooms is set to surpass his fellow Clontarf man either against Fiji or Australia over the next week.
READ MORE: Sam Prendergast Test verdict delivered by Robbie Henshaw after Ireland beat Argentina
READ MORE: Cian Healy to equal Ireland caps record: 'It's very different between Drico and me'
“When I first came in, Churchy was the best – still is, I’d argue – loosehead in the world,” said Porter. “I owe a lot to him in my own development. He took me under his wing and showed me the ropes.
“He’s definitely a unique character. I don’t think you have too many people who can play all positions across the front row, and he can do them quite well as well. He’s a huge asset to both Leinster and Ireland and he’ll continue to be, it’s not his last game. He’s a great fella and it’s great to be able to share the day with him and hopefully he can push that on and add a few more to it.”
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At the other end of the spectrum, 24-year-old Thomas Clarkson made his Ireland debut - playing alongside his Leinster team-mate Porter in the scrum against the Pumas and doing well. “Being in Leinster with Tom, I’ve been able to see his progression in training and in games as well,” said Porter.
“It’s great for Tom and you saw how well he did, he fit in very well, you wouldn’t think it was his first cap with the confidence he was playing with and what he added when he came on. I’m delighted for him. It was a huge day for him and I’d say it’s the first of many for Tom, and for Sam (Prendergast) as well.”
Porter admitted that it wasn't until the final whistle that he realised how close Ireland had come to losing back to back game for the first time since 2021.
“It definitely felt like we had a great first half and maybe we let the foot off the pedal a bit in the second half," he said. “But I think it’s hugely positive. We were flowing a bit more in our attack and you kind of saw what we could do, especially in the first half. We’ll take a lot from (that) and bring it into next week.”
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