IT’S A BIG day for New Ross RFC, as they get set to witness the homegrown Tadhg Furlong wearing Ireland’s green jersey against the Barbarians at Thomond Park.
It may not be a first cap for Furlong in what is a non-capped clash with the Baa-Baas, but it is the first playing involvement of what you’d have to think will be many for the tighthead prop with Ireland at senior level.
His old school in New Ross, Good Counsel, will share in the pride too, as might his former coaches in the Leinster Youths system and at Horsewood GAA club, for whom Furlong perviously stood out in hurling and football.
The 22-year-old is attached to Clontarf in Dublin now – though his Leinster duties mean club rugby is in the past for him – but Furlong hasn’t forget his New Ross roots. As much as time and the demands of a pro career allow, he gets back to visit ‘The Grounds’.
“Whenever I’m home, I usually do pop into the club,” said Furlong at Thomond Park yesterday. “Home is home and you can never forget where you’ve come from, so any chance I do get to go back to the club and see the younger lads especially in the club, it’s really enjoyable.
During the season, you’re up to your eyeballs with matches so it makes it hard and you’re talking around two hours 20 minutes of a drive, so you’re looking at almost 5 hours in the car in total, which probably isn’t the Mae West for recovery!”
Indeed, it’s the Wexford contingent who will be doing the travelling ahead of this evening’s Barbarians tie in Limerick. Furlong’s family will be in Thomond Park for what he hopes himself and his Ireland teammates ensure is “a good day out.”
The Leinster man has had his head down since joining up with Joe Schmidt and the rest of the group earlier this week, his characteristic approach.
“I suppose there’s a lot of new faces in the whole thing, so we’re trying to knuckle down and get our plays right, get the whole system right,” says Furlong of an Ireland squad made up exclusively of Ulster and Leinster players.
“Learning the new shapes is like learning a new language essentially. It’s been good, it’s been a lot to get your head around but we’re really looking forward to it.”
It’s not Furlong’s first involvement under Schmidt by any means, having been called into camp during the week of the November Test against Georgia last year, and then being involved at Carton House during the last two weeks of this season’s Six Nations.
His role in that success mainly involved providing opposition for the established first team, “just prepping up the lads” for the clashes with Wales and Scotland.
That experience has stood him in good stead this week, while he’s also had the opportunity to renew a strong relationship with Ireland scrum coach Greg Feek, who previously performed the same role with Leinster when Furlong was breaking through.
We call him the ‘Scrum Daddy,’ the daddy of the scrum,” explains Furlong with a smile. “All the scrum work I’ve done through the Leinster academy and right into last year would have been all done through Greg.
“I suppose I know his model or how he wants to scrummage really well and I know what he expects of the tighthead prop and the front-row unit. I’ve a really good understanding and rapport with him, so it’s been good to touch base with him as well.”
The presence of provincial teammates Richardt Strauss and Jack McGrath alongside him in the front row builds the confidence, according to Furlong, but he’s clearly a man fully comfortable that his own ability is sufficient to excel this evening.
That assurance comes after a busy season with Leinster, one that saw him push Mike Ross out of the matchday squad at one point.
“I suppose if you said to me at the start of this year that I’d play 26 games, I would have told you to hit the road,” says Furlong. “I suppose I was lucky with injuries to Marty Moore, both his shoulders, I got a bit of an extended run in the squad. I found my feet as the year went on and I grew more confident in the role.
I was happy from a personal point of view. Obviously from the team, we didn’t reach the highs that we wanted to but I suppose you have to take it as a learning curve.”
The sense is that Furlong is viewing everything through that same prism right now: as a learning curve. He’s already at an impressive level for his age and position, but his thirst to improve is partly why his reputation among coaches is so strong.
The sky seems the limit, and you wouldn’t put it past Furlong to end up travelling to compete with Ireland in altogether more prestigious games this September and October.
“I think the World Cup is a bit far off yet,” says Furling. “I suppose I have a good opportunity to be in the shop window [against the Barbarians] and I’m just really looking forward to being out there.
“I haven’t played a massive amount of rugby in the back end of the season, so it’s about putting my foot in the door and showing them what I can do as part of the team.”
- Originally posted at 07.00, updated at 19.00.
Hard to be much worse than last season, but it there merit on focusing entirely on youth when U21′s and minors have been so poor in recent years.
This years minor team lost by 5 points to all Ireland champions Tipperary. This was closer than any team got to tipp this year and Cork were 6 points up at one stage of the 2nd half.
Closer than the Waterford team that beat Tipp?
@Stephen Casey: that was u21
Both Sean.
http://munster.gaa.ie/fixtures/minor/
The Waterford team that were beaten by cork in the 1st round
Yes they were. Cork had a good minor team this year. But to say they came closer to Tipp than a team that beat Tipp is incorrect.
Surely brosnan and moylan will be involved when there involvement with the glen is finished
Not arguing that there aren’t some talented young hurlers in Cork, things can’t be that bad, but given the lack of success at underage for an extended period it seems unlikely there are bunch coming through to revive the senior team. Just seems like some managers do out of desperation and an easy answer, just bringing some young lads onto a sinking ship won’t do them any good.
So, basically he’s getting his young lad on the team!
His young lad who’s widely considered one of the best young hurlers in Cork….
His young lad I have seen since u 14. A very good talent
His young lad is a serious talent.
Pa Callaghan is the fella he should be after…
Ye a very good player and putting him senior can bring him on more look forward to seeing him in the league
@John S: @John S Truth the last thing we need now is nepotism further hurting our chances of becoming a side that can even be competitive with the likes of the top tier teams such as Wexford and Clare.
From what I seen of him last year I taught Cronin was a good player
@ John S. – to be fair to him, shane Kingston is a handy enough hurler; he hasn’t come out of nowhere & is there on merit. Plenty of younger players from the Dev squad – time will tell
Pa O’Callaghan should be in there…refusing the invite again, what his beef i wonder?
Pa callaghan is a good prospect
Pa callaghan much better