‘I swear to God, I have never seen someone eat so much beef in my life’

TWO KEY COMPONENTS to any successful rugby tour for players are good food and someone in the group to lighten the mood.

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Andrew Porter has been impressive for Ireland. Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

We asked a selection of the Ireland U20 players and coaches who’s the joker in the pack and who puts away the most food.

Here’s what they said…

Hugo Keenan (wing):

Joker: ”Maybe Kelvin Brown, or Niall Saunders is a funny lad as well.”

Eater: ”Biggest eater has to be Andrew Porter. The sheer size of him, he needs it.”

Sean O’Connor (lock):

Joker: ”I would have to say probably Greg Jones or Kelvin Brown. They are always messing and have something to say.”

Eater: ”Andrew Porter and Ben Betts, they are some men to put away food. They never stop.”

Niall Saunders (scrum-half):

Joker: ”There are a few jokers, Greg Jones has got to be up there, Kelvin Brown as well.”

Eater: ”Definitely Andrew Porter. With the size of him you would know he would be able to put away a fair bit of food. We went to this meat place and he was there demolishing it. Adam Coyle might put it up to him but that’s it.”

Saunders with back row Greg Jones. Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

Peter Malone (assistant coach):

Joker: ”Martin Kennedy, our fitness coach here. He’s a lot of experience working with Dublin GAA. He’s in the IRFU now and Martin’s a bit of craic. He’s got a different kind of view on things. Super for us. I think the physio as well, Nick Lawlor, is a good bit of craic, he’s a different kettle of fish, from Offaly.”

Player-wise: ”The witty banter in the players… let’s see… I suppose Jacob Stockdale is never short of a few one-liners when wants to. Quite confident with the quips and the jokes.”

Eater: “I can’t tell you! David Attenborough could do a documentary on watching these guys eat because they go through some amount of food. It’s like a process so I’ll leave the lads to talk about that!”

Matt Byrne (wing):

Joker: ”Shane Daly probably, but there is a good buzz in the group.”

Eater: ”I would have to say Andrew Porter. We went to a steakhouse the other night and he went mad for it. There was a competition between him and Adam Coyle to see who could eat the most steak and he came out on top.”

Joker: ”One guy who really sets the mood is our kitman Lar Hogan. Everyone gets on with him. There are several comedians this time with this group of players, it’s hard to pinpoint one but there is never any shortage.”

Eater: ”Adam Coyle is giving Andrew Porter a run for it but the dark horse is Stevie Kerins, the scrum-half. He can eat with the best of them and he went toe-to-toe with Coyler and Porter when we went to that Brazilian place.

“I think we might have closed that place down for a few days so that they can restock. We were held hostage in the restaurant waiting for them to finish.”

Joker: “It was definitely Peter Claffey for the Six Nations. But for the World Cup maybe Kelvin Brown, I would go with him.”

Joker: ”Greg Jones is very funny. Adam McBurney is very funny. There are a lot of great personalities.”

Eater: ”I thought heading into this I was a big eater, I thought I was up there but some of the food some of the lads eat is just, I can’t tell you.

“We went to this Brazilian BBQ place. It’s basically an all-you-can-eat meat place. Andrew Porter, I swear to God, I have never seen someone eat so much beef in my life.”