Tadhg Furlong proves he's the ultimate prop in five words
Ireland will have a new captain this weekend, Tadhg Furlong, who has brushed off an ankle injury suffered against South Africa last Saturday to lead his country against Fiji.
The Leinster tighthead said, however, that he never dreamed of captaining Ireland when speaking to the media this week, and in doing so provided the ultimate prop's statement.
When asked instead of what he dreamed of when he was younger, the 120kg prop said: "Spuds, gravy, mother's Sunday roast." In three words the two time British & Irish Lions tourist proved he is the ultimate prop.
He went on to say: “I never even thought of it.
“You know when you dream as a young fella, you want to play for Ireland, you want to play for Leinster, you want to play for the Lions – I never even dreamed of captaining Ireland.
“It could be my only time! Obviously I didn’t know if I would be playing or not, Faz (Farrell) said it to me on Monday, ‘would you skipper the team, if you’re fit and ready to go?’, so of course.
“It’s class, it’s class, it’s not something I ever thought was on my radar. To get an opportunity is special, you know? I just want to make the most out of the weekend.”
Ireland Squad Fiji Week
Backs (16)
Robert Baloucoune (Ulster/Enniskillen) 3 caps
Caolin Blade (Connacht/Galwegians) 1 cap
Joey Carbery (Munster/Clontarf) 36 caps
Craig Casey (Munster/Shannon) 5 caps
Jack Crowley (Munster/Cork Constitution) uncapped
Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster) 21 caps
Mack Hansen (Connacht) 7 caps
Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers) 60 caps
Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD) 24 caps
Michael Lowry (Ulster/Banbridge) 1 cap
Stuart McCloskey (Ulster/Bangor) 7 caps
Calvin Nash (Munster/Young Munster)
Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster/Naas) 1 cap
Garry Ringrose (Leinster/UCD) 45 caps
Johnny Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 109 caps
Jacob Stockdale (Ulster/Lurgan) 35 caps
Forwards (23)
Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers) 26 caps
Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne) 34 caps
Jack Conan (Leinster/Old Belvedere) 31 caps
Max Deegan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 1 cap
Caelan Doris (Leinster/St Mary’s College) 21 caps
Tadhg Furlong (Leinster/Clontarf) 61 caps
Dave Heffernan (Connacht/Buccaneers) 7 caps
Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf) 119 caps
Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy) 68 caps
Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 29 caps
Jeremy Loughman (Munster/Garryowen) uncapped
Mike Milne (Leinster/UCD) uncapped
Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution) 88 caps
Tom O’Toole (Ulster/Ballynahinch) 3 caps
Scott Penny (Leinster/UCD) uncapped
Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD) 47 caps
Cian Prendergast (Connacht) uncapped
James Ryan (Leinster/UCD) 47 caps
Dan Sheehan (Leinster/Lansdowne) 11 caps
Gavin Thornbury (Connacht) uncapped
Nick Timoney (Ulster/Banbridge) 2 caps
Kieran Treadwell (Ulster/Ballymena) 9 caps
Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD) 44 caps