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'It was absolutely disgusting... There are not too many tighthead props in world rugby who can do that'
Former Ireland international Mike Ross believes Tadhg Furlong is reaping the benefits of his year out of the game following the tighthead’s eye-catching performance against Scotland on Sunday. The Leinster prop spent almost 12 months out of action due to calf, back and hamstring injuries, on the back of the lengthy Covid-enforced postponement of the rugby season.
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Furlong returned to fitness just in time for Ireland’s Six Nations campaign, replacing Andrew Porter off the bench in the defeats to Wales and France before starting the wins over Italy and Scotland.
Sunday’s game in Edinburgh was arguably his best performance of the season, with Furlong solid around the set-piece as well as carrying well and making some important contributions in defence.
However, it was Furlong’s dancing feet which really caught the eye, the tighthead showing great footwork in the first-half to side-step two Scotland players, George Turner and Finn Russell, in quick succession.
And Ross, who played 61 times for Ireland, believes his former teammate possesses a skillset few tightheads in world rugby can match.
“It was disgusting, absolutely disgusting,” Ross said when asked about Furlong’s impressive footwork.
“There are not too many tighthead props in world rugby who can do that is there? Certainly not in Ireland. Another one for the highlights reel.
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“I was talking to him a couple of weeks ago. In a way, the extended lay-off did him a favour. He’d been playing pretty much non-stop for about three years since he broke onto the international team between summer tours, Lions tours and the rest of it. It gave him the chance to work on a few areas that he hadn’t been able to do – get a proper pre-season in, eat the weights for a bit, and I think you’re seeing the benefits of it now.”
Sunday’s 27-24 defeat of Scotland leaves Ireland with two wins from four games ahead of Saturday’s round five fixture with England. And while Ireland’s struggle for consistency has been something of a concern under Andy Farrell, Ross says he has seen enough evidence to suggest the team are on the right path.
“I think they are. The set-piece is good. They absolutely crucified the Scottish line-out. What was it? The Scots won two from nine? Those are ridiculous stats, so Paulie (O’Connell) has come in and made an impact.
“The set-piece has been good, the rucking has generally been good, it’s just about putting the sum of the parts together and getting a consistent game, the defence is good in spells, the attack is good in spells but it is about keeping it, putting the whole thing together and about being more than the sum of the parts.”
Ireland haven’t beaten England since 2018, struggling to match England’s physicality in their recent encounters. That trend has also been evident at club level, with Leinster falling short in the same department against Saracens across the last two Champions Cup seasons.
Ross believes that while the English put huge pride in their scrum, Ireland have improved their own set-piece work this season, which should result in a more competitive battle in Dublin on Saturday.
“It can be dangerous,” Ross said of the the English scrum. “It should be even enough, but it depends what attitude we come with, too. The English, I know from my time in the Premiership they kind of use it as a bit of a willy waving contest. They put tremendous pride in their scrum.
“They want to attack you there and lay down a physical marker. I’ve had bad days and I’ve had good days against the English scrum.
“But I think if you look at the components of our scrum, James Ryan and Iain Henderson make a big difference there. They’ve tweaked the scrum set-up. Before, they had a kind of sling-shot approach, the number eight taking the weight off the second rows and pushing them in.
“Now they stay down, the second rows stay on their knees until the bind call and then they come up, which, instead of hitting in two stages, you’re just going bang, all the weight goes on straight away.
“Fogs (John Fogarty, Ireland scrum coach) has learned from Saracens v Leinster last year, I guess, and the set-up has been looking really nice. I really like to watch it quite a bit and see what they are doing, and it seems balanced, it seems stable, and it seems powerful.”
Mike Ross today launched ISPCC Childline’s ‘Team Of Us-Together for Childline’ competition, with thanks to Vodafone and Irish Rugby. This competition gives Irish Rugby supporters the chance to win one of the players’ signed matchday jerseys from the 23-man squad that will face England on March 20th. To be in with a chance of winning one of the jerseys, simply make a donation of at least €10.00 to ISPCC Childline at https://www.idonate.ie/teamofus
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The World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
1 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
2 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
19 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments