Price is right as shows what he
IT isn’t quite akin to achieving checkmate against Garry Kasparov, or knocking down Muhammad Ali in his pomp, or taking a set off Roger Federer.
But, still, forcing a scrum penalty out of Tadhg Furlong on a rugby pitch is no mean feat.
Step forward, then, Phil Price. Last season, the former Bridgend RFC and Bedwas RFC player couldn’t get a start with the Dragons, dropping to arguably fifth-choice loosehead at the region before jumping at the chance to head west to the Scarlets. By some calculations he might even have been sixth choice.
Later, Price bemoaned his lack of opportunities at Rodney Parade in 2017-18.
But all that was forgotten last weekend when he produced a memorable effort off the bench against Leinster.
When the 29-year-old arrived on the pitch for the Scarlets against Leinster, the all-Ireland front row of Cian Healy, Sean Cronin and Furlong were waiting for him, possibly with napkins tucked under their chins and knives and forks at the ready.
For those who haven’t been paying attention these past couple of years, Furlong is widely acknowledged as the best tighthead in world rugby, a man who prides himself on his work in the tight as much as his immense efforts in the loose. For him to concede a scrum penalty is the rugby equivalent of a Penny Black. Not seen often.
Price opposed him for only 16 minutes but in that time there were five scrums and the Lions Test starter didn’t get any change out of the Welshman. The two set-pieces that were most talked about saw the first deemed inconclusive by the referee, despite Furlong appearing to hit the ground. “His knees again!” shouted Scarlets openside James Davies.
When the set-piece was reset, Furlong switched his bind from shirt to arm but hit the deck and in the referee’s eyes took Price with him. “No. 3 pulled it down,” Scottish official Mike Adamson ruled.
Leinster later sent on the another Ireland international, Andrew Porter, but nor could he turn the screw on Price, admittedly in the few scrum opportunities there were when the eight-cap player was on the field.
Asked about his head-to-head with Furlong, Price hit the modesty button, saying only: “It was a good test for me to see where I am at the beginning of the season and I thought we all stepped up well.
“Tadhg Furlong is a British and Irish Lion with quite a few caps for Ireland now.
“So, as I said, it was a good test. “Sometimes those penalties don’t go your way. Luckily on the day, it went my way this time, which was good.”
Price worked tirelessly in other areas, too, lifting well to help the Scarlets to a 100 percent return from their own line-out and defending with attitude.
One game proves only so much, of course, but anyone watching Price against Leinster might have wondered how he came to fall out of favour so much in his final year at the Dragons.
Brok Harris, Thomas Davies, Sam Hobbs and Liam Garrett all had more rugby than him at loose-head, while youngster Josh Reynolds was handed a debut in the Anglo-Welsh Cup.
Price had given the Dragons nine years of wholehearted service.
So when his frustration spilled out towards the end of last term, it wasn’t a total surprise.
In an interview back then with the South Wales Argus he said: “I don’t feel I got a fair chance.
“I had two opportunities off the bench against Edinburgh and Ulster but don’t feel I had a crack playing with our strongest team. I don’t really know the reasons for that.
“I am just disappointed. I was here nine years and dedicated a lot of time to the Dragons and feel a bit let down by the club.”
Time heals and Price is no longer bitter towards his old employers, preferring instead to focus more on how much he is enjoying life with the Scarlets.
“It was a massive opportunity for me to come down here,” he said.
“That was my ninth season at the Dragons as a professional, a long time in my career, and I had reached a sticking point and needed a fresh start. The opportunity came down here to cover for the Six Nations and things went from there.
“I have loved every minute of it. “It was something I needed to refresh my mind, get me refocused and get me going again.
“Sometimes, you get a clash of personalities or whatever and things