Ulster's Tom O'Toole happy to try and master different positions for club and country as focus turns to huge Munster clash

The 26-year-old is Ulster’s first choice tighthead prop while during the autumn international series O’Toole played 33 minutes against Fiji on the opposite side of the scrum as the Irish management now see his future in a green shirt on the loosehead side.

While causal observers may think playing prop is essentially the same no matter what side of the scrum you pack down, in reality it is completely different and has been described as being right-handed and learning to write with your left.

O’Toole, who will play at tighthead for Friday night’s must-win URC interpro with Munster, said: “Being in Irish camp I’ve a lot of confidence in myself and my ability and I was really delighted to get an opportunity to play loosehead against Fiji.

“It was a cool experience and my first time playing loosehead at pro level so it was good, but I’m confident in myself and my abilities that I can do both. But coming back here it makes sense for me to play tighthead just with how things have gone this year at Ulster and wherever I am and whatever position I’m playing, I know I have confidence in myself that I can do a job.”

O’Toole is expecting a tough examination in Friday’s big festive clash at Kingspan Stadium.

"A lot of the guys you’ve scrummed against previously and it’s good to see Dave Kilcoyne back after a pretty big injury,” he said.

"I’ve played with him at Ireland and Oli Jager as well, so I’m sure those guys are itching to get back and if they’re fit and coming to Kingspan you know what they’re going to bring.

"With Munster it’s always physical and confrontational so they are going to try and go after you at every opportunity.”

The Drogheda born front-rower isn’t committing to nailing his future down yet and says he is just taking things ‘week to week’.

“I don’t want to get too ahead of myself – boring answer – but I just want to take it week to week and this week I’m tighthead, so that’s it,” he said.

“That’s what I’ve got to focus on this week and see where it goes from there."

O’Toole revealed he has received plenty of advice after making the switch in Ireland camp.

“I spoke a little bit to Mike Ross when he was down there. After one of the games we were chatting about it briefly, but it was more with the lads there,” he said.

“Talking to Cian Healy a lot, he was good to me over the Autumn Nations and helped me out. I’d be quite close with Cian which makes it really easy for us to talk about those sorts of things.

“He was a big help to me especially that Fiji week, leading into that game.

“You kind of know what’s coming and what a tighthead would like to do to you, so I guess playing loosehead you have more awareness of what he is trying to do and you can counter that a little bit. But it’s just getting a feel for it doing it live and it was nice to do it at Ireland camp when you’re going against pretty good tightheads down there, so it was nice to get that exposure.”

Ulster: Michael Lowry; Werner Kok, Jude Postlethwaite, Stuart McCloskey, Zac Ward; Aidan Morgan, John Cooney; Andrew Warwick, Rob Herring, Tom O'Toole; Alan O'Connor (capt), Kieran Treadwell; James McNabney, Marcus Rea, David McCann.

Replacements: John Andrew, Eric O'Sullivan, Scott Wilson, Harry Sheridan, Matty Rea, Dave Shanahan, Jack Murphy, Rory Telfer.