No quarter-final 'curse' baggage within Irish camp, insists Porter

NO HANG-UPS: Andrew Porter poses for a portrait after an Ireland rugby media conference at Complexe de la Chambrerie in Tours, France. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

It is the statistic that will keep Ireland supporters awake for at least the next month and a bit, this nation’s failure to go past the quarter-final stage of the Rugby World Cup.

This will be Ireland’s 10th attempt to smash the glass ceiling but inside the Ireland camp currently in Tours, there is no concern about past failures, according to Andrew Porter, only a firm belief that they are a team that is capable of actually winning the tournament this time around.

The prop has the scars of a heavy quarter-final defeat to New Zealand in Tokyo four years ago while others including captain Johnny Sexton, Conor Murray and Keith Earls have experienced the pain of three previous last-eight exits.

Yet Porter was having none of any talk about squad hang-ups over Ireland’s World Cup history.

Speaking in advance of Saturday’s Pool B clash with Tonga he said: “I don’t think this squad does.

“I think we all have the belief that we can go and win. I don’t think anyone is too bothered with what’s happened in the past. Obviously, there’s lads that have been in three World Cups and four World Cups, and it’s incredible to have their experience in the squad, but there’s not one player in the squad who doesn’t believe we can go and do this.

“Yeah, so I don’t think there is really any hang-ups about whatever you call it, ‘the curse’.” 

Porter’s declaration endorsed the view expressed earlier in yesterday’s media conference by Ireland’s performance coach Gary Keegan at their Stade de la Chambrerie training base that Andy Farrell’s squad was not focused on either past failings or the successes of the past two years.

"We're not bothered by it, I think this group wear that skin very well,” Keegan said. “It's not normally in the Irish mentality but if you're there, you've earned the right.

"But there's a recognition across this entire group, including staff, that we have to continue to earn the right, nothing is going to be given to us and every new performance has to be generated and created, we can't live off a past performance.

"So I think that's the attitude, there's a curiosity about how we can improve as a group, it's there across all roles within the group, not just the playing group; the coaching group, our whole performance support group and our operations group is the same - how can we improve and how can we innovate as a group?

"So keep grounded and stay curious.” 

It was curiosity and his role as an ambassador for the Irish Cancer Society that led Porter along with team-mates Bundee Aki, Joe McCarthy and Mack Hansen to visit Clocheville Children’s Hospital in Tours on Monday, a unit that specialises in the care and treatment of children with cancer.

Porter, 27, lost his mother Wendy to breast cancer when he was 12 and the visit was an inspiring one for the Ireland star.

“It was amazing seeing the incredible work the doctors are doing in the children’s hospital. It’s obviously a charity that’s close to my heart, I’m involved with the Irish Cancer Society.

“It was a hospital for children with cancer, so it was incredibly humbling seeing how brave those kids were, and just kind of being able to brighten their day. It meant a lot to myself, and I’m sure the other players who were there as well.

“Just being able to see how brave those kids are, how hard they fight every day for where they are. It’s incredible to see.”