'Impressive young man' Tadhg Furlong takes his place in Lions pantheon

RTÉ News​

6 days ago

Across three British and Irish Lions tours in three different countries, Tadhg Furlong has seen it all through three different perspectives.
In New Zealand in 2017 he was 24 and the next big thing.
Four years ago in South Africa he was 28 and in his prime.
Now, aged 32 in Australia, he's one of the old heads in the group. This could be his last stand on tour.
"You go on that first one and you take it all in," Furlong says, as he prepares for his ninth start from a possible nine Lions Tests.
"The second one is kind of like, you want to perform, and the third one you just want to appreciate it all because you don't want it to pass you by."
As a three-time tourist, and set to start his ninth consecutive Test across that period, he's firmly established himself among the list of British and Irish Lions greats.
Only eight people have played more Tests for the Lions in its 137-year history, and only one of those – Alun-Wyn Jones - has done so in the professional era. Willie John McBride, Mike Gibson and Tony O'Reilly are the only Irish players to have ever won more Lions Test caps.
Joining that list of Lions elite was far from Furlong's mind throughout this season, one in which persistent calf and achilles injuries limited him to just seven games for Leinster across the campaign, and just one for Ireland.
As he struggled to shake off those injuries, just making it on tour was the big goal.
"You want it so badly. I think the cruel thing is when you go on one [Lions tour], you just want to go on more," he said.
"There was a stage this season where we were having conversations with medical staff. It's like, 'what is going on here? We need to nip this stuff in the bud'.
"Lions Tours are some of the best days of your career and I'm delighted to be able to go again.
"I just wanted to try to get on tour and play rugby and see where it got me, but it's class, yeah. To be up there [with nine Test caps].
"I remember I got selected [in 2017], or people were speculating when I was going on the first Lions Tour.
"I was young, and you think of Lions, and you think of the players and you don't see yourself there to be mentioned in the same breath as them and I probably feel the same way now."
He was still relatively inexperienced when he made his Lions debut back in 2017 (above).
Just two years on from his Ireland debut ahead of the Rugby World Cup in 2015, he had just 16 Ireland caps to his name, and had only taken over as Ireland's first choice tighthead from Mike Ross in the season leading up to the New Zealand tour.
With England having won consecutive Six Nations titles inn 2016 and 2017, Warren Gatland would have been expected to lead with one of the English tightheads, Dan Cole or Kyle Sickler, for the Test series, only for Furlong to claim the starting jersey for that first Test against the All Blacks in Eden Park, and he's kept it ever since.
He said: "I was probably young and making my way through it all and learning it all. Gats kind of backed me really. He backed Mako [Vunipola], myself and Jamie George through each of the Saturdays.
"I felt pressure by it, in a rugby country like New Zealand, there was pressure. I felt pressure. I probably didn't enjoy it socially as much as I should have, looking back.
"I think it's all part of the journey. Whereas this one, it's a great group of lads. I suppose I'm very familiar with the coaches. You feel more at ease.
"Obviously, I've gone on two [more] and been around rugby a lot more. You feel more at ease. You feel more belonging straight from the start."
Long before he become a Lion, current Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt knew he was a special talent.
He first encountered the Wexford man when he was coaching Leinster, and recalls being introduced to the future Ireland international by the province's former academy coach Collie McEntee.
"He got brought into the office and introduced himself. He blocked the sun, briefly, and those shoulders haven't got any smaller since," Schmidt said this week.
And the Wallabies coach believes Furlong has been rewarded for his persistence and ability to adapt to an ever changing game.
"The first time he played a couple of Tests for us in Ireland, he found it tough as young props often do.
"The first thing you realise is that this kid is resilient, he got knocked back a couple of times early on, particularly at the scrum.
"South Africa [2016] was a baptism of fire. Since then, he's grown into a player who is multi-purpose.
"Those skills he has with the ball, his ability to carry himself and he's very good, quite dynamic in the defensive line.
"We were here [in Australia], on tour in 2018 and I remember David Pocock was just about to decide to get over the ball and Tadhg Furlong put him back a couple of metres from the ball.
"He's certainly an impressive young man and a world class player, so if he wants a day off on Saturday I'd be happy to see that."
Furlong has seen it all in his three tours, getting a taste of New Zealand, South Africa and Australia, and he's also experienced every outcome, drawing a series, losing a series, and now, finally, winning one.
"It's probably one of the more satisfying achievements that I've been a part of," he added.
"It's up there. It's up there. It's such a hard thing to do, and history tells you that.
"When you play for the Lions, you understand why, in terms of moulding everyone together and trying to get them on the same track, and the schedule and travel. It's right up there.
"I've heard a lot of people explain Lions tours.
"I probably haven't found an explanation in a verbal form that matches how you feel about it as a player. It's a special thing. It really is. From all aspects.
"You spend your professional rugby life around a lot of the same people. To get to know people from other countries, there's different stories, there's different craic.
"There's different ways of slagging, nicknames, all that craic. Playing cards, out and about, dinner, socials. Off the pitch, that's great."
He rolls his eyes and laughs when it's suggested that he could defy even his own plans and add to his Lions caps haul in New Zealand in four years at the age of 36.
"Just about to turn 37. Could you imagine?" he gasps.
And while he wouldn't rule anything out, he's planning to take in every second of Saturday at Accor Stadium.
"You're still playing for the Lions. It's not hard to motivate yourself. My motivation is obvious," he said.
"I'm not going to say I won't, but I probably won't play for the Lions again. It's been very good to me. It's been very good to my career. You want to play well in it.
"I'm kind of leaving a lot of that emotional stuff behind us. Without being clinical about it. You want to give the best version of yourself to it.
"Sometimes the last memory is the lasting memory you have in a jersey. I want it to be a good one."