Wales prop Gareth Thomas will be out for revenge against Ireland and Andrew Porte (Image: Getty)
There will be no love lost between Andrew Porter and Gareth Thomas when the and rugby stars step out onto the pitch for their clash at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.
Nearly a year to the day since their last Six Nations meeting, the pair after Porter executed a tactic labelled cunning by some and over the line by others.
Wales’s struggles were well-documented even 12 months ago when Warren Gatland was in charge and Ireland were heavy favourites heading into the match. But even with that knowledge, the Irish decided to work some dark arts into their play to make life difficult for their opponents.
The incident occurred during the second half in Dublin when Thomas lost his boot during a ruck. As the Ospreys prop tried to retrieve his footwear, Porter intercepted and launched the boot back towards Ireland’s posts.
The throw was accurate enough that it prevented Thomas from getting his shoe back until there was a break in play or his side won back possession, because he would’ve otherwise been put in an offside position. And it soon dawned on him that stepping into the ruck would’ve left him at risk of his foot being stepped without protection.
Once he realised the helplessness of the situation, Thomas furiously confronted Porter and pushed the Leinster man as tempers flared. The 29-year-old then ran directly into Thomas in an attempt to block a kick forward. Overall, it was estimated that Thomas went five minutes without being reunited with his stray shoe.
Porter’s underhanded tactics earned a chuckle from ITV commentator Miles Harrison, who appeared to enjoy the exchange as he noted that “a boot had been dispatched back to half-way”.
Wales prop Gareth Thomas was left without his boot for around five minutes (Image: Getty)
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And while there was lots of appreciation for the ‘brilliant s***housery’ from Porter, others felt that a yellow card should have been shown for his mischievous actions.
The exchange had come in a moment of respite for Ireland, having withstood momentous pressure from Wales in the second half. But once again their defence stood strong and kept Warren Gatland’s side as they celebrated a 31-7 win.
Ireland took their 18th consecutive Test win on Irish soil thanks to tries from Dan Sheehan, James Lowe, Ciaran Frawley and Tadhg Beirne.
Ireland star Andrew Porter’s sly tactic divided rugby fans (Image: Getty)
But coach Andy Farrell said: “I thought we should have had 40. We got what we deserved in the end. I thought Wales defended really well at times. But I thought we should have been further ahead in the first half. There was all sorts going on.
“Some of it was our own doing, but most of it was because we were playing a tenacious Welsh side. So congratulations to them.”
With Wales massive underdogs heading into their next clash, they may need to deploy such tricks this time to stand any chance of a shock win in Cardiff.