Ireland prop Tom O'Toole reveals Australian background and goals to cover both sides of scrum

O'Toole has been named in Ireland's Six Nations match day squad, as Farrell prepares his men for their third round clash with England, at the Allianz Stadium this Saturday. O'Toole holds down the number 17 jersey for the second week in a row, as he prepares to cover Jeremy Loughman as Ireland's loose-head replacement. The 27-year-old spoke in the week about how the decision came about, as Ireland scrum coach John Fogarty backed the Ulster bruiser to shift heads at the set-piece.

"It was John Fogarty who gave me the idea." O'Toole said. "To be honest I hadn't really put too much thought into it. I'd last played loose-head at school, I did a little bit at U20s, so it's something that probably wasn't in my mind.

“Early on in my career with Ulster, I was just trying to nail down a spot at tight-head. Fogs sparked that idea and to be honest it gave me a lot of excitement because it's something new, something challenging.

"When you look at the likes of South Africa, who have guys that can cover across the board, I feel like if I can cover across the board whether it's province or international, that can only be a real positive thing."

O'Toole was flung into the fray at loose-head this past Saturday, as he replaced Loughman for the last quarter of an hour against Italy. The versatile prop expressed how it felt to take on a formidable Italian scrum in the newfound position, and he tipped the hat to an Irish legend for some last minute advice.

“Coming on with 15 minutes to go, in a big game, a tight game, I trained well throughout the week. I had that confidence, I have good guys around me. I met Cian Healy during the week, he just said as soon as you cross the white line, really just focus on your game, so that's what I try to do.

"I try to not build it up too much and then just kind of get into it. I had a good week's preparation, so I was actually just happy to get in, get stuck in, get an opportunity which was great.”

An experienced Ireland prop who also made the switch from tight-head to loose, is Leinster stalwart Andrew Porter. The 30-year-old played his first 35 Ireland Tests on the tight-head side of the scrum, before he shifted across the cover loose-head in 2021. O'Toole has had some valuable chats with Porter, with plenty to learn from the currently injured prop.

"Me and Ports [Andrew Porter], we keep in communication a little bit. A lot of the time, it's not to do with rugby, obviously he's injured and I'm gutted for him. I saw him after the game on the weekend, and it was great to catch up with him. [We spoke] A little bit of rugby, I tried to ask him a couple of questions, but I just tried and keep it light-hearted as well.

“I hadn't seen him for a while face-to-face, so it was good to catch up with him. Reaching out to the guys that have been there and done that before, have played at the highest level, it's really important just to get things to implement into your game and relate into your performance then.”

O'Toole's rugby journey begins a world away in the land down under, as he first picked up the oval ball whilst enlisted in Padua College in Brisbane. After being born in Drogheda, County Louth, the O'Toole family whisked a young Tom across to Australia, as they began a new chapter of their life in Queensland.

However, Padua College was not exactly a rugby union stronghold, with the preferred code of 'footie' ruling at the institution. O'Toole revealed how he picked up a unique skill-set through a rugby league background, as he took the best of both codes back home to Ireland, once he returned in his late teens.

“Padua College, I haven't said that name in a while!" O'Toole quipped. "That was my old school in Brisbane growing up, that was traditionally a rugby league school, which produced a lot of good origin players and some Kangaroo players for the Australian rugby league side. The union team had only been playing 17 years I believe, when me and my brothers had arrived at the school.

"It was surrounded by really good people, but it was a really grounded school, didn't have a long history of union, but it was really eager to learn the game of union. Growing up, it was nice to have a bit of both [league and union] because I was able to develop a lot of skills from rugby league players, like tackling, running lines, ball handling. I felt like I got a little bit of both worlds when I was growing up."

Once the 2026 Six Nations comes to a close, O'Toole will return back home to Belfast and join up with an in-form Ulster side. O'Toole will likely return to the tight-head of the scrum, as Ulster's resident number one is Wallabies international Angus Bell. O'Toole revealed how the two have a shared history having both come though the Australian system, and how Bell is settling into Belfast life since arriving from Sydney.

“He's been really good. Any international that comes into the group with experience, at 25 years old with 50 caps for his country, that's no small thing. So, when I'm playing tight-head, he's over the other side, I have a lot of confidence that he can bring his area of the game.

“It's a strong set-piece, and we all saw the try he scored for Ulster a couple of weeks ago [against Cardiff], you can see what he can do in the loose, which is pretty amazing. He played with some guys at Waratahs that I grew up with, went to school with, so we pretty much had a natural connection from the start."

“We knew people from similar groups, so he's been really good since coming into the side, he's really bought into our culture - he's been playing really well for us as well. He's given me a lot of help around set-piece, when we're scrummaging against each other at training or scrummaging with each other, and been really good for a lot of the younger guys at Ulster."

Following a strong start to their domestic campaign, Ulster currently sit at fourth in the table with seven wins from 10 matches. The province's fine form is dutifully reflected in the Ireland squad, as a plethora of O'Toole's clubmates joining him at the Dublin training camp. The likes of Stuart McCloskey, Nick Timoney, Jacob Stockdale and Cormac Izuchukwu have all starred so far, whilst wing Rob Balocoune marked his tournament debut with a try-scoring Player of the Match performance against Italy last weekend.

"This year it helps when the team is performing really well. With Ulster you see guys like Stu (McCloskey) and 'Cat' Rob Baloucoune, getting their [Ireland] opportunities and how well they've been playing for the provincial side. And guys that aren't here like Zac Ward and Bryn Ward, who have been in camp.

"What you see is what you get with Cat [Rob Balocoune]. We played a little bit underage together. He's such a wonderful guy and it's been really tough for him with his injuries the last couple of years. Being so injured, it's not easy bouncing into work, but he kept a level head throughout the whole process, he's kept that belief. We all have a massive belief in Rob Baloucoune, his ability and what he can do on the field - it was great to see that [against Italy]."

After being a solid member of the Ireland squad that achieved the 2023 Six Nations Grand Slam, O'Toole then traveled out to France for a single cap at that year's Rugby World Cup. The pool stage appearance against Romania was his sole involvement, as O'Toole began to fall to the tight-head fringes of Andy Farrell's squad, with Tadhg Furlong and Finlay Bealham preferred at number three.

O'Toole would then feature just once in the 2024 Six Nations, as his status steadily fell in the tight-head pecking order. The front row revealed how it was a tough one to take, as he had honest and open chats with Ireland head coach Andy Farrell. This pivot to loose-head has brought about a welcomed return to the Test match stage for O'Toole.

“It's class when there's guys playing really well around you. It helps you and drives you on. It has been really enjoyable. Being out of this [Ireland] group and then being back in, I'm just really enjoying it. I really want to enjoy each and every day with this group and cherish those moments."

"It [dropping to fringes of the squad] should be difficult for everybody. I didn't play as much as other guys but I was in that group for a good few years, and I was a part of that Grand Slam winning team and went off to the World Cup A lot of the guys, because you spend so much time together, become a lot like family. When you're out of that, it is (tough) but it's your job, and you've got to be professional about it.

“For me that reset was really important, especially the stage I'm at in my career. I'm 27 now, so coming into the next few good years in my career, I'm really looking to push. I'm Coming off a good season but also coming into this environment, I just feel like I'm in a good place.”