Furlong out to raise his game again
TADHG Furlong doesn’t turn 25 until three days after Ireland’s first Test match of the season against South Africa next month but the Wexford born tighthead looks certain to be one of the first names on Joe Schmidt’s team sheet, following a dream year which has marked him down as one of the leading players in his position in world rugby.
Having been part of the 2015 Ireland World Cup squad as a 22-yearold, Furlong patiently served his time as understudy to Mike Ross before becoming a regular at both club and international level last season.
The prop made only his second international start in Ireland’s historic victory over New Zealand at Soldier Field but a solid Six Nations Championship paved the way for selection for the Lions tour of New Zealand.
He formed a formidable front row partnership with English pair Mako Vunipola and Jamie George, starting all three Tests despite being the youngest forward in Warren Gatland’s squad and is keen to press on this season and put the experience gained to good use.
‘I’m the sort of person that’s never happy with certain stuff. I am still very young for a tighthead prop and I still have a lot to learn in the game. Those sort of things keep you motivated.
‘I still haven’t won anything. That is one of the things that motivate you to keep performing.
‘You are probably more confident or more comfortable going into big games. You’ve been there and you have that memory bank you can draw on.
‘Confidence-wise, the summer probably helps you a bit. It gives you standards of yourself in those big games where you can keep aiming for,’ said Furlong.
Leinster can take another step towards qualification for the knockout stages of the European Champions Cup with victory over Glasgow at Scotstoun tomorrow afternoon and all but eliminate the Scottish side in the process, but Furlong knows it will be tough.
‘You don’t think of dumping Glasgow out. You think of trying to get a win yourself.
‘We haven’t won there in — what is it? — six years, something crazy like that.’
Furlong sat out Leinster’s opening four games of the season as part of the IRFU’s player management program but returned for the Pro14 wins over Edinburgh and Munster.
‘The squad hasn’t had a massive amount of time together with everyone integrated back in. This is only our fourth week deep really. We’re getting there little-by-little. You can see those gradual improvements in the games that we’ve played.’ Leo Cullen’s side were beaten semi-finalists in both the European Champions Cup and Pro12 last season and the competition in Europe in particular looks tougher than ever as the big English and French sides splash the cash. Leinster, by contrast, continue to put their faith in developing their own talent with the likes of Barry Daly and James Ryan making their European debuts in last weekend’s win over Montpellier at the RDS. ‘It’s really good for the club that the young players are pushing through and getting their opportunity. ‘You see someone like Barry Daly getting his first European start. I would have played Irish U20s with Barry.
‘I thought he was superb at the weekend. His defence and problemsolving out there saved our skins on a few occasions.
‘Going through that U20s team, Jack Conan is having a really good season, James Tracy is really pushing on.
‘James Ryan coming in, that’s a tough task getting a phone call on the morning of a game. He was straight in to start. You wouldn’t know by his performance, I thought he was exceptional.
‘If you look at last season, we were so close but yet so far away. I think there was a massive sense of disappointment within the group because of that and a will to succeed.
‘Some of the standards of the teams out there are impressive. I watched Saracens, they seem so composed in everything they do. In all their attacks, they have perfect shape all the time. They’ve some really good players, they are definitely the standard-bearer.
‘It’s something we are aiming for, to get our standards really, really high and hopefully to compete at the right end of the season.’