Furlong delivers dream display to catch Vunipola’s eye
TEST series winner of 2013 Mako Vunipola has given fellow prop Tadhg Furlong the 2017 seal of approval. Leinster and Ireland tighthead Furlong put the squeeze on the Crusaders scrum on a Christchurch night the Wexfordman described as being the stuff of dreams ‘since he was in nappies’.
Vunipola is one of 14 carry-over selections from the previous Lions tour and he was left impressed by how the 24-year-old newcomer didn’t look out of place, dishing up another lesson to Joe Moody at the set-piece similar to what happened last November, when Ireland held sway against Moody’s All Blacks in Chicago.
‘Tadhg’s workrate is unbelievable and you saw he was a massive anchor for us,’ enthused Vunipola. ‘We build our scrum around him and fair play to him, he keeps going.’
Furlong was left feeling on top of the world, his first start coming seven days after a difficult debut run off the bench in the ugly win over the Barbarian part-timers at Whangarei.
‘It was brilliant. An incredibly proud moment for me and my family. It’s something you dream of since you were in nappies.
‘It is (a dream realised). You probably don’t think about it because you have a million things going on in your head about the game… but it is a dream come true.’
Furlong let slip that the front row consisting himself and two Saracens, loosehead Vunipola and hooker Jamie George, had been working in unison to tame the Crusaders even since they came together in camp in Ireland on May 22.
‘We have trained together as a front row unit since nearly going back to Carton House,’ he said, the triumvirate’s comfort with each other prompting speculation that they could now be chosen en bloc to start against the All Blacks on June 24.