Six Nations: Ireland’s Tadhg Furlong ready to deliver at scrum time

Dylan Coetzee 10 Feb 2022 7:49 AM

Ireland prop Tadhg Furlong’s focus is on scrummaging ahead of their clash with France in Paris despite the front-rower showing off his distribution skills against Wales last weekend.

Furlong put in a dynamic display in the 29-7 win both in the scrum and with ball in hand as Ireland made it nine wins on the spin.

Scrum focus

However, the 29-year-old is only focused on delivering a masterclass in the scrum against France and will lose sleep if he does not.

“The scrum is such a personal thing to a front rower. It’s the most important thing,” Furlong said.

“Everyone talks about everything else, this and that, but if you can’t scrummage you’re no good to anyone.

“It’s your primary job. If it doesn’t go well it’s a tough day.

“I always say that scrummaging is the best thing in the world if it’s going well but, by God, you’ll stay awake at night when it doesn’t.”

The man from Wexford did show his skill with ball in hand with a sumptuous pass to captain Johnny Sexton against Wales but the hype is lost on him.

He added: “You can’t do it on your own, you know?

“Like, ‘rugby player passes the ball’, yeah…but I’ve been passing the ball since I was four. So, I should in theory be able to do it.

“It’s the detail in the way that you do it, that probably makes the difference though.

“You’re always practising your catch-pass, be that in Leinster or in Ireland – there’s no excuse for being a prop and not doing that nowadays.

“Look, I’ve been playing rugby since I was four or five, so I’d want to be able to pass the ball a metre, wouldn’t I?

“I don’t probably view it as sitting defenders down. I’m just playing the game, to be honest.

“It’s the way it has gone really. You have to be able to throw your hand at it. In terms of the game itself, it’s only a small part of it.

“Everyone is pushed to practise it and be good at it because it’s a big part of the game now.”

Furlong is no stranger to playing in Paris having first played at the Stade de France in 2016 where he came on as a replacement in the 62nd minute only to be monstered in the scrum.

Ireland was being dominated at scrum time and was close to conceding a penalty try when the hosts scored to seal the victory.

“When you look back then, I hadn’t started a game for Ireland,” said Furlong.

“It was probably inexperience. Everything’s different about playing in France.

“Then you’re under your posts with three or four five-mere scrums. That probably doesn’t help either.

“You always hear when you’re younger that it takes a while for props to learn and it’s only when you’re a little bit older that you realise how true it is.

“You see it in the young fellas coming up as well, it takes time, they need to experience different things – not just scrums but playing in different parts of the world.

“It wasn’t something I realised at the time – but you understand looking back what everyone’s on about.”

Their trip to Paris in 2018 was much more fruitful for Furlong and Ireland as they won a thriller 15-13 to go on and win the Grand Slam.

“Going into that Six Nations, I’d started games on Lions tours,” he said.

“It’s a little bit different. You’re a little bit older, you’re a little bit wiser, a little bit more street smart.”