Chicago fire: 2016 survivor Furlong still has 'plenty to offer' Ireland

Ireland face a Windy City reunion with the All Blacks on Saturday night. 

ELDER STATESMEN: Tadhg Furlong in Chicago this week. Pic: INPHO/Dan Sheridan

The Ireland squad outings here this week haven’t been confined to just sporting arenas. Some of the city’s dining cathedrals have been frequented too. Chicago Cut Steakhouse on the riverwalk reportedly celebrated the arrival of a throng of Andy Farrell’s squad with a burst of applause and cheers. So much for staying low key.

Owned by Dubliner Matt Moore, the welcome was perhaps understandable. The fare is fancy. It’s one thing to be able to stump up for a $99 prime rib or perhaps the $145 porterhouse for two. It’s another to know how to order it. An American definition of medium rare ain’t the same as our own.

Tadhg Furlong may be one to play things on the safer side. His return trip to Chicago has been made as a man. One happy to remember the boy who first travelled here back in 2016.

“Here, you'd probably catch salmonella off me I was so raw, honestly,” Furlong said as the travelling press pack erupt edas loudly as the steakhouse patrons. “What age was I? I was 23, was I? I'm 32, just about 33.

“I went into the academy and, first year, I got the full shoulder done. I was out for pretty much the whole season and I went to the 20s World Cup. I didn't play again ‘till the 20s World Cup pretty much. Second year, I lacerated my kidney and then third year, I got my appendix out, so it was a tough oul academy time. And next thing, the next few years just took off, with very little rugby under my belt.

“I was a different kind of man, and rugby was different back then as well. It was a different time.” One of just two Soldier Field survivors in Ireland's starting lineup this weekend, that victory that Irish rugby had waited a century and more for arrived on Furlong’s second outing as an international.

“It’s rare isn’t it,” he said. “I remember feeling bad at the time for someone that slogged before you and you just kind of walk in and it happened. Good memories. I heard a lot of people talking about it this week. I can't remember a whole lot about the game to be honest. I remember walking around afterwards and thinking it was class. Good times.

“There's not a whole lot of us left from that brigade. Myself, Finlay, Josh, Robbie and Garry. Garry didn't come on [in 2016]. There was obviously Joey Carbery and a few other kind of young lads were knocking around that time.” Furlong is still knocking. An 80th cap will be mined out of the coalface on Saturday afternoon. They call these autumn internationals. These are seasons of change around Andy Farrell’s squad, crossing the Atlantic and, for the first time in forever, facing a Tier 1 nation without Peter O’Mahony, Conor Murray or Cian Healy.

“I suppose [there are] your elder statesmen, people in my age bracket who have been around the game a long time or have a fair few caps.It's only natural that if you have something to say, you say it. Or if someone can learn from your experience, all the better," Furlong reflected.

“There's lots of fresh blood coming in. Every campaign does, but to lose three lads of that personality, one, but also experience within the game, it does change stuff up a little bit.” An eleventh year as an international is dawning. The tenth wasn’t without its issues. Injury ruled him out of facing the All Blacks last November and messed up plenty more plans. Seven Leinster appearances and a late cameo off the bench in Rome were his lot until full fitness arrived with perfect timing for him to start all three Tests for the Lions and complete his set, appearing in all nine matches that mattered across the 2017, 2021 and 2025 Tour.

He calls is “a useless stat, really” and maybe it is. But that fitness and freshness has carried through to this season. Like James Lowe earlier in the week, he’s all too aware of what’s on the calendar in October 2027: “It’s on the horizon, you know something's coming, but you have to put the groundwork in to get there.” It helps, then, that groundwork is as enjoyable as it’s ever been. As Ireland limbered up at Soldier Field in glorious Friday morning sunshine, he was there in the thick of it feeling very Fridayish.

“I love it. Training or playing or watching videois nearly the easiest part of your week. That’s the most enjoyable. I've always found it enjoyable, just playing ball," Furlong said.

"I still think I have plenty to offer. I'm 32. I had a good, if you want to call it a break year last year, but I I don't have many wrecked joints. I never had a big injury. It's always been kind of small, bite-size, bar the academy days, but I've been very lucky that way and we've had a good pre-season and the grá is big at the minute for the game.” Repeating the trick in Chicago this weekend would be cause for grá mór “Sometimes you just need a little bit of momentum behind you,” said Furlong. “A little bit of momentum changes stuff for you. Then you can break down injuries or no injuries or what's the flow of the people coming in and out of camp.

“You can explain it with so many things, but a lot of time it's just lads showing up ready to work with the right mindset and with strong habits and behaviours about them and you get yourself over a lot of problems.” +++ENDS+++