CROWNING GLORY FOR DEVIN
Toner targets title in autumn of career
DEVIN TONER admits his time at the top is running out as he targets a second Triple Crown today at Twickenham. Toner, 34, rebounded from his shock World Cup dismissal and starts his first Six Nations game since last year’s home loss to England. After wins against Scotland and Wales, Ireland can claim only a second Triple Crown since 2009. Their last Six Nations win in London secured the Triple Crown and Grand Slam two years ago. “Any time you’re able to lift a trophy for your country is huge,” said Toner. “It would be very nice to come away with a bit of
TADHG FURLONG likes to meet storms head on - so he’s only relishing today’s Triple Crown challenge.
A fortnight ago, after Ireland’s training camp in Cork, the 27-yearold pointed the car towards the county’s west coastline in the midst of Storm Ciara. His destination was Whiddy Island for a sleepover in his granny’s house.
“It was blowing a gale out there,” recalled Furlong. “She was grand. She had the fire lit - a Stanley, she got a refurbished one. She’s no central heating or anything.”
There’s no bigger rugby critic, it seems, than Furlong’s granny. Pulling up a video on his phone, it shows the 87-year-old parked right in front of the TV for one of Ireland’s earlier Six Nations victories this month.
“That’s her there now watching the telly. Eyesight not great – she got the two cataracts done there up in Belfast. She’s up close to it,” said Furlong. “My cousin’s girlfriend went in to watch the game with nanny.
“Quote of the day from my grandmother,” the prop reveals. “’If Sexton misses this one I’ll curse him from all angles!’
“That’s a direct quote! She’s in fine fettle. Great craic. Not a bother on her.”
Furlong has no filter and, refreshingly, shoots from the hip.
With perfect timing, he just seen criticism of his scrummaging technique in the last game by Wales’ forwards coach, Jonathan Humphreys, when he met the media this week.
Humphreys accused the 27-yearold of ‘hammering across the scrum’. The Ireland star is having none of it.
“We try to push as square and straight as anyone,” insisted Furlong. “They said we were scrummaging from left to right, which would be very, very square scrummaging.
“They probably could do with sorting out some of their stuff themselves, really, before looking at us. Not (just) Wales but across the game - the trends are looseheads on big angles.”
He isn’t happy that Humphreys chose a public forum for his views.
“There are channels you go through to referees,” Furlong stressed. “There’s always dialogue.
“I haven’t heard anything coming back out of the game saying otherwise. I wouldn’t be one for bringing it out in public.”
Ireland have a terrific record against England in the Six Nations era – they are the only side to have won more – 11 - than they have lost – nine - against them. Four of those victories have come at Twickenham as well including the Grand Slam game two years ago.
But they arrive at HQ fuelled not so much by those warming memories but by the crushing 57-15 World Cup warm-up loss on their last visit in August.
“You look at that game and you think: ‘Jeez, how far off the pace we were!’ Some of the stuff we were doing and just our general energy was so, so poor,” said Furlong.
“Sure it’s easy to make a thousand excuses for it if you want but by God, did it hurt. We were humiliated. Jeez, if we play like that at the weekend, it will be the same result.
“Maybe we were naïve,” recalled Furlong of that record defeat. “We thought we prepped really well.
“We had some really good memories of the previous time we’d played in Twickenham (when Ireland won the Grand Slam).
“I remember stepping into the Richmond Hill, our hotel, thinking, ‘Jeez, the last time we were here the craic we had, what a few days we had’. Obviously it didn’t materialise.”
There is little chance of a repeat with Ireland rejuvenated under Andy Farrell. If they win and stay on course for a Grand Slam Whiddy Island will go wild.
By God did it hurt. We were humiliated. Maybe we were naive..