'It's nice to play rugby and get match-fit' - Tadhg Furlong back to his best but warns of second Test swing
Tadhg Furlong only played nine games for club and country in 2024/25 as he dealt with a series of niggling injuries, and arrived into Lions camp in June following a six-week layoff, with his final game in the domestic season coming in Leinster's Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Northampton Saints in early May.
His place in the squad was by no means guaranteed, but having worked his way ahead of Will Stuart and Finlay Bealham in Andy Farrell's depth-chart, he justified that faith with a vintage display in Brisbane as he helped the tourists to a 27-19 win.
"I haven't been playing a whole lot of rugby," he replied, when it was suggested to him that he looks like someone who is enjoying his game.
And while the Lions' hectic travel schedule has led to less time on the training pitch, the 32-year-old (below) believes it's worked in his favour.
"I love rugby. I genuinely do. It's never a chore for me to train or to play.
"Ironically the lack of training on this tour is great for my body because you come to the game fresh. Previously I would have had a lot of overload injuries. It's nice to play rugby and get match-fit by playing rugby, two games a week."
A Lion in 2017 and 2021, Furlong has now started all seven Tests across these three tours, but the Leinster tighthead is still looking to win a series, having drawn against New Zealand before losing to South Africa four years ago.
Across those two previous tours, he's seen both series flip in the second Test. Eight years ago, the Lions recovered from a defeat to the All Blacks with an impressive win in Wellington, while roles were reversed in Cape Town in 2021, when the Springboks came from behind to clinch the second and third Tests.
And those experiences are a stark reminder that the Lions' work is far from over ahead of their trips to Melbourne and Sydney.
"There's a flow to it. The group is edgy, we don't know each other. We don't know Australia, what they're like on the pitch, they don't know us.
"You do all your prep, there's a realisation then after that about what it takes in the game, there's an ebb and flow on it.
"As stupid as it sounds, it's all about putting the game out there and there'll be tweaks and changes and nuances, a little bit of tit for that.
"It's a little bit like the old Heineken Cup used to be with the double header, it changes.
"There's two sides to the coin. Obviously, there's us not getting complacent, learning the lessons. We have a midweek game again, it'll be great to see the boys go out and see who puts their hands up. We can do the Tuesday-Saturday [schedule], we know that, so if lads go well there then we know they will be in contention.
"The other side of that is that we know what it means to the Aussies, the desperation is all on the line for them next weekend."
Four years on from the South African series being played out to the backdrop of silence in empty stadiums in Cape Town, Suncorp Stadium was fully charged with the touring supporters outnumbering their Australian hosts.
And Furlong says that support hasn't gone unnoticed.
"Class, even the town, you know? On Thursday it filled up, you can feel it, everyone wears red.
"I'm sure Canterbury are delighted with the sales of the stuff, everyone seems to be wearing the kit, they wear their club hat or whatever.
"It's why the Lions is special, it's not lost on us."
Among that support is his mother Margaret, who joined the camp along with the other families of the squad for a special jersey presentation on Thursday evening, a poignant moment for the family after the passing of Tadhg's father James in late 2023.
"My mam and aunty are over, she did my jersey presentation on Thursday.
"It's nice, to be fair to her it's not easy to be here, any time she'd have travelled previously was with my father but she's great, she's out and about.
"She was kayaking on the river this morning, she sent me a picture out on the river, fair play to her."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
21 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Arsenal CONFIRM £63.5million Viktor Gyokeres transfer as striker takes iconic No14 made famous by Thierry Henry
ARSENAL have confirmed the £63.5million signing of Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon. The Swede, 27, has penned a five-year deal worth around £300,000 a week. 4 Viktor Gyokeres has completed his protracted move to Arsenal Credit: EPA Only The Gunners will pay an initial £54.8m up front, with a further £8.7m in additional clauses. These add-ons include Gyokeres' goal and assist contributions, as well as whether Arsenal secure a place in the top four or win the Premier League title. The Gunners' new superstar will READ MORE IN FOOTBALL Gyokeres had been on Arsenal's radar for around a year. Club bosses also considered the likes of But Arsenal chiefs decided to zone in on former Brighton and Coventry forward Gyokeres back in May. Desperate to complete the move, the striker Most read in Football BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 4 Gyokeres banged in a hat-trick against Man City last season Credit: Reuters 4 The Swede, 27, helped Sporting to the title last season Credit: Getty Having finally secured his dream transfer, Gyokeres will head to Asia to join up with his new team-mates. The forward could feature in an Arsenal shirt for the first time on Thursday as Arsenal start pre-season with victory against poor AC Milan side Gyokeres spent five years in British football between 2018 and 2023 across spells at Brighton, Swansea and Coventry. The impressive forward particularly excelled with the latter, scoring 43 times in 116 outings for the Sky Blues. Goals flowed even more freely for Gyokeres after he completed a £21m move to Portuguese giants Sporting two years ago. The 6ft 2in ace crashed in 97 goals and 102 appearances for the Lisbon side, including a stunning Champions League hat-trick against Manchester City last season. Gyokeres now fills a gaping hole in Arsenal's front line. With Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz both out injured during the second half of last season, boss Arteta frequently had to play midfielder Mikel Merino as a makeshift No9. The Spaniard has now landed the combative, prolific front man that he so desired. Gyokeres is the sixth signing of what has been a busy summer window at the Emirates. He follows Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke and Cristhian Mosquera through the door at the Emirates. 4
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Irish rugby legend Ronan O'Gara gets POOED ON live on Sky Sports after Lions' epic comeback win over Australia
RONAN O'GARA was given an unwelcome gift by a bird while LIVE on air. Irish rugby legend O'Gara was working as a pundit for Sky Sports during the Advertisement 5 Ronan O'Gara was pooed on by a viewer flying by 5 Will Greenwood pointed out the new coat decoration on his arm 5 The poo landed on his left arm 5 Fans and the rest of the panel had a laugh at the 48-year-old's expense 5 O'Gara had a stunned reaction as he tried to find the white spot However, a winged viewer flying by decided that the 48-year-old's coat needed some extra decoration. And while he stood alongside colleagues discussing Hugo Keenan's last-gasp winning try, Will Greenwood spotted that O'Gara had been POOED on. He said: "Oh a bird has just pooed on Ronan." The group then shared a laugh at O'Gara's expense as he frantically tried to find where Greenwood had pointed it out. Advertisement READ MORE IN RUGBY A voice can then be heard saying: "That's lucky for some but not for Ronan." Fans behind the panel also poked fun at O'Gara for the unfortunate incident. Greenwood then adds: "La Rochelle are going to win the European Cup." O'Gara eventually laughs off the incident, though we expect his coat to receive some TLC to remove the poo. Advertisement Most read in Rugby Union Breaking BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK And while the unusual present might not be seen as too lucky by O'Gara, the Lions certainly did find some luck in their match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. They moved 2-0 over Australia in the series, but only after coming back from 26-17 down in the 53rd minute. Australia 26 British and Irish Lions 29- Historic Test series whitewash on the cards as Lions complete epic comeback Keenan's late winner has now set the scene for a potential clean sweep when the sides clash again at the weekend. Advertisement
Extra.ie
an hour ago
- Extra.ie
How Joe Schmidt almost pulled off a coaching masterstroke in Melbourne
This was almost another Joe Schmidt masterclass. Almost. Seven days after the Wallabies were outclassed in Brisbane, this wounded outfit came roaring back in emphatic fashion at a heaving MCG. Schmidt had branded his players 'submissive' in the wake of a timid 27-19 defeat at Suncorp Stadium. They were a different animal in Melbourne. This was almost another Joe Schmidt masterclass. Almost. Pic:It said everything about the home side's tenacity and resolve that the Lions needed a last-gasp try from Hugo Keenan to seal a hard-fought win, and the Test series. The 81st minute was the only time in this enthralling encounter that the Lions actually held the lead. In the end, that's all that mattered. For large swathes of this trilling international clash, it looked like Schmidt's side were going to level the series in emphatic fashion. The Wallabies were inspired for most of the contest. They didn't look like a Schmidt-coached side in Test One. They certainly did in the rematch. Australia's Jake Gordon scores a try. Pic: WILLIAM WEST/AFP via Getty Images For most of the match, especially during their first-half purple patch, Australia looked like Ireland in 2018. That was Peak Schmidtball. That was the year when the national team conquered the world, laying waste to every team which got in the way of a relentlessly efficient green machine. 'In Joe we Trust' was a popular mantra from Irish supporters at the time. Ireland were deadly during that period. The breakdown was precision engineering. The set-piece was slick. The kicking game was razor sharp and those trademark Schmidt strike moves tore opposition defences to shreds. And Ireland simply didn't make any mistakes. It's hard to play against a team like that. The Wallabies weren't far off those lofty standards. They were sharper in everything they did. All those efforts culminated in a 23-5 advantage. A week after the Lions had held a 24-5 lead during their spell of dominance in Brisbane. Some turnaround. Will Skelton of the Wallabies evades a tackle. Pic:There were a flashpoints which swung the momentum back in the Lions' favour. Rob Valetini and Will Skelton were both gone by the 48th minute. Both had emptied the tank. Both were greatly missed. Tom Curry's seismic man-and-ball tackle on Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii was another big moment approaching the hour mark. Tom Curry of the British & Irish Lions dives over to score. Pic:What really killed Australia's challenge was their lack of depth. Once some of their frontliners began to tire, it really affected them. Once they began to run out of fuel, they didn't have the reserves. Once the Lions unleashed their stellar bench, it made all the difference. Ellis Genge, James Ryan and Blair Kinghorn made outstanding contributions and brought fresh energy and dynamism when the Lions needed it most. What a luxury to bring a character such as Owen Farrell, with all his experience, leadership and nous, off the bench to make the big calls at critical moments. Schmidt simply didn't have the same personnel available to him. Tate McDermott, the outstanding Queensland Reds scrum-half, had to do a 60-minute shift on the wing after Harry Potter pulled up early with an injury. Australia Wallabies. Pic: Izhar Khan/Schmidt's plan was to send McDermott into the fray in the final half hour so he could bring his livewire energy around the ruck. Instead, he was filing a hole out wide while Jake Gordon, who had a superb game, was forced to go the duration. In the end, the Lions had too much power. And it eventually told. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii of the Wallabies and Joe Schmidt. Pic:Andy Farrell will get plenty of kudos for masterminding this series win. Indeed, he could well make it a 3-0 whitewash in Sydney next week. He will get plenty of plaudits in the weeks, months and years ahead. But Schmidt deserves the real credit for making this series competitive. The Wallabies were at the lowest of ebbs when the former Leinster and Ireland boss answered an SOS in January of 2024. Australian rugby had been doing it tough for a long time but their national team had reached a nadir during Eddie Jones' disastrous second stint in the gig. The Wallabies had won just two of nine Tests, plummeting to ninth in the world rankings while enduring a torrid 2023 World Cup, exiting at the pool stage after a 40-6 hammering by Wales. Jones was handed his P45 and Schmidt was tasked with turning things around in time for the Lions. Langi Gleeson. Pic: Izhar Khan/The New Zealander had insisted he was done with coaching on several occasions. He signalled his intention to 'finish' this line of work after Ireland's 2019 World Cup campaign. The Auckland Blues and the All Blacks subsequently convinced him to put the tracksuit back on. Australia managed to do the same. When it comes to coaching, Schmidt has been a bit like Al Pacino in The Godfather: Part 3. Just when he thought he was out, they pulled him back in. And this series was all the better for it. Yes, the Lions have won the series. That's a result which has long been forecast. But the Wallabies pushed them all the way and, if a few little moments had gone their way, they would be heading to Sydney for a third Test decider next week. That's a testament to Schmidt's enduring qualities as a coach, tactician and motivator. Australia head coach Joe Schmidt before the second test match between Australia and the British & Irish Lions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile Because Farrell had infinitely more resources at his disposal. He had a better stable of players and plenty of quality in reserve. When things got dicey in both Tests, the Lions could revert to type and rely on their heavyweight set-piece and superior power game to make the difference. Schmidt had to box clever with his tactics and personnel. It looked like he was going to pull off another coaching masterstroke. Another victory to file away alongside Stade Marcel Michelin in 2012, Soldier Field in 2016 or Paris in 2023. Schmidt still has plenty to offer as a coach, clearly. He will turn 60 in September. Les Kiss will take the reins after this series with the coaching handover set to be completed early next year. Joe Schmidt. Pic:Schmidt will be a free agent again in 2026. His next move will be fascinating. He has never struck you as the kind of character who will spend his weekends working in the garden or washing the car. Joe enjoys a game of golf, but that's not going to cut it. He has often classed himself as an 'accidental coach' but he was born to do this job. There was fresh evidence on Saturday. He made his mark on this series. The Wallabies will feel the benefit in the years ahead, especially with a home World Cup in 2027. These are solid foundations to build on. And it's all down to Schmidt.
