Tadhg Furlong: I never even dreamed of captaining Ireland

Furlong doesn’t expect this to be a regular thing. Sexton will be back sooner or later and the likes of Peter O’Mahony and James Ryan are more obvious long-term deputies

DREAMLAND: Tadhg Furlong says he never even dreamed of captaining Ireland. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

Tadhg Furlong admits he never dreamed of captaining Ireland as a kid growing up in Wexford, but that’s exactly what the Leinster tighthead will do when he leads the side out against Fiji at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday.

The 29-year-old was called aside by head coach Andy Farrell on Monday this week and asked if he would fancy the role – on the proviso that he could recover in time from the jarred ankle which cut his day short against South Africa last weekend.