We’re team Tadhg all the way...
LAST Saturday my four-year-old son Rian learned a whole new raft of swear words. I was on the couch watching Ireland play Italy when Tadhg Furlong pulled up and limped off the pitch.
I immediately jumped up from my seat, sending the poor child flying across the room — and began hurling a string of expletives at the TV that would have made Quentin Tarantino blush.
My son’s face began to crumple, the bottom lip began to quiver and I knew I was in for a tearful episode that would only be calmed by hugs and Percy Pigs.
The truth is that I am a terrible sports spectator. I invest too greatly in the sport and the team. So when Tadhg Furlong limped off the pitch, I genuinely thought that my hopes and dreams of a Grand Slam had limped off with him.
I won’t go into the disgraceful details of what happened when Robbie Henshaw hurt his shoulder —I’ll just say that I left the room and went to watch the rest of the game on my own upstairs.
Furlong is without doubt one of the finest exponents of his position in the world. Having a world class player is nothing to be sniffed at and losing him during a game we were running away with was hard to stomach.
So when I was offered an interview with the man himself on Tuesday, I jumped at the idea.
Furlong left the pitch after just three minutes of Ireland’s win over Italy last weekend, prompting fears that he may miss some or all of the remaining Six Nations games.
You would imagine that he would be of sullen disposition; despondent at the cruel hand that the sporting gods had dealt him.
But no, the Wexford native was upbeat, chatty and dare I say it, dead sound.
Perhaps it is to do with the fact that he didn’t come to prominence through the usual rugby boots.
He isn’t a graduate of some posh school in Leinster. He got involved in rugby through his father’s own dedication in New Ross, Co. Wexford. And despite what you see on the Vodafone ads, he didn’t spend all his time tackling tractor tyres for extra practice.
‘I’m not sure I can advocate tackling tyres due to safety reasons, but I definitely recommend just getting out, messing around with the ball and having fun,’ he tells me.
‘My father would have played rugby with the local club in New Ross and when he stepped away he got into coaching underage teams. And although he never coached me he probably would have stoked my interest with it.
‘He brought me to the undereight sessions and it went from there.
‘It is the road less travelled as opposed to the schools route, I suppose. But that said, it wouldn’t be massively unusual to come the club route.
‘There are a lot of players who come through it and there are infrastructures and talent indemnification procedures in place within the province to pick up people from the non-traditional rugby-playing schools route.’
Tadhg was speaking at the launch of Vodafone’s #Teamofus campaign, which illustrates how important the support network of coaches, family, friends, backroom staff and, of course, the fans are to the Irish team. And, according to the rugby prop, having such support gives you the edge when locked in battle on the pitch.
‘When the going gets tough, knowing you have the backing of so many people is huge,’ he says. Of course the big question everyone wants to know is, will he be fit in time to face the Welsh in Dublin at the weekend?
‘I’m not too bad,’ he says. ‘I am feeling good. My hamstring stiffened up a bit and we erred on the side of caution. But I am feeling positive that I will be available for Wales. It’s nothing too worrying.’
Of course if there is a down side to his recovery, it is the fact that his girlfriend didn’t get a romantic night out on Wednesday as Furlong re-joined the Irish camp.
The orders from Joe Schmidt were to head straight back to the Irish camp to prepare for Ireland’s clash with Wales, so Valentine’s Day plans were put on hold thanks to training. It’s something the couple are used to: he says that missing out on regular romantic occasions are part and parcel of being a professional athlete.
‘It is really tough to plan anything,’ he says. ‘Even a short holiday with your girlfriend is always late notice and late booking.
‘Most of your weekends are gone through game or travel but that is the price you pay. I am certainly not complaining because I am living my dream.’
Here’s hoping Furlong makes the difference when we face the Welsh tomorrow for the sake of, if nothing else, my children’s wellbeing.