LAST WEEKEND TADHG Furlong was flicking around the channels during an adbreak when he stumbled upon a repeat of Leinster’s Champions Cup semi-final meeting with Clermont in 2017.
Intrigued, the Leinster prop kept the match on for a few minutes, and watching himself on the screen, was struck by how much the demands placed on him has changed over the years.
“I just looked at it and I was just plodding around,” Furlong says.
“Attack, defence, set-piece. That was all you had to do. I was like, Jesus Christ! And now as a front-row, (it’s) attack, defence, set-piece, attack, defence and then kicking. Do you know what I mean? You have to work as hard and there’s no excuse as a front-rower not to be around it or haring up or haring back.
“So, my workload has gone through the roof because of it. You have to be able to do everything nowadays.”
Furlong in action against Clermont in 2017. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Thankfully, after a frustrating time with injuries over recent seasons, Furlong is fit and firing and able to keep up with the demands of the modern game. Having played just nine matches for club and country before heading on the Lions tour across 2024/25, he’s already clocked up 15 games so far this season, including four of five Ireland’s Six Nations fixtures.
Furlong, 33, is happy with his overall fitness, although he doesn’t pay as much attention to the data as some of his teammates.
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“I actually have no clue on the GPS stuff compared to years ago. But I feel good. I think the outputs are good. The S&C are happy so once they’re happy, I’m happy.
“I try and tend not to bog down with all that side of stuff. If there’s something that needs to improve or I need to pull back on a little bit I’m happy to delegate there.”
Furlong looks at rugby now and, generally, sees a greater “looseness” in games, something which was evident not just in Leinster’s 49-31 win over Edinburgh, but almost across the board in a high-scoring Champions Cup round of 16.
“There’s some of them, like the Toulouse game, and to be fair Bristol were loose enough as well… I think the kicking game and this thing in the air… It’s changing now where wingers are going back instead of people going up.
“Who’s going and contesting the ball? Some people are just slapping it down where it becomes loose there for a phase or two or three.
“You can see teams that are really good at it. Take France, take Toulouse, take Bordeaux. We scored a few nice ones the weekend. When the ball comes loose, who can play quicker? Who has athletes? Who has ball-players? Who can pick people off? It’s becoming just… It’s adding that extra kind of unstructured-ness to the whole thing.
“It’s probably only the last year, year and a half and even the last three, four months it’s changed again,” he adds.
Furlong has played 15 games for Leinster and Ireland this season. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
“It’s just how teams are doing things. Everyone’s kind of adapting and changing as you go. With not being able to block and run it back. There was a while there where (it was) just two people going up for it and just scrum, scrum, scrum, scrum, scrum. Now it feels like slap-backs and it just makes it a bit looser on the ground.”
Sunday’s win over Edinburgh saw Leinster play some of their best attacking rugby of the season, while also conceding some poor tries through loose passing and handling.
“Last week was the first time we had everyone back in the building. And I thought last week, compared to the Scarlet’s week, it was a big week of growth for us.
“Getting on the same page and ironing out a few things and just getting cohesive together. I suppose the answer is in the postcard for Sunday, really, at where we’re at and where we’re getting to. It feels like we’re in a good place. It feels like we’re ready to push on and hungry to grow and all that.”
Tomorrow it’s a quarter-final date with Sale (KO 5.30pm), a game Leinster are expected to win, but Furlong stresses the challenge the Sharks can pose.
“Tough, like tough. I think they have a very good coaching staff there. (Alex) Sanderson has a good history in the competition. I’ve heard a lot of good stuff from Sale lads about him and his motivation.
“Obviously, Mike Forshaw, he’s coming from Wales, an international coach, obviously a northern man as well. They go good hard northern rugby, and they have a 10 (George Ford) there that’s well able to control the game, but also play a lot of ball if he wants to, so that’s what we’re expecting.
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'I was just plodding around' - Furlong on rugby's changing demands
LAST WEEKEND TADHG Furlong was flicking around the channels during an adbreak when he stumbled upon a repeat of Leinster’s Champions Cup semi-final meeting with Clermont in 2017.
Intrigued, the Leinster prop kept the match on for a few minutes, and watching himself on the screen, was struck by how much the demands placed on him has changed over the years.
“I just looked at it and I was just plodding around,” Furlong says.
“Attack, defence, set-piece. That was all you had to do. I was like, Jesus Christ! And now as a front-row, (it’s) attack, defence, set-piece, attack, defence and then kicking. Do you know what I mean? You have to work as hard and there’s no excuse as a front-rower not to be around it or haring up or haring back.
“So, my workload has gone through the roof because of it. You have to be able to do everything nowadays.”
Thankfully, after a frustrating time with injuries over recent seasons, Furlong is fit and firing and able to keep up with the demands of the modern game. Having played just nine matches for club and country before heading on the Lions tour across 2024/25, he’s already clocked up 15 games so far this season, including four of five Ireland’s Six Nations fixtures.
Furlong, 33, is happy with his overall fitness, although he doesn’t pay as much attention to the data as some of his teammates.
“I actually have no clue on the GPS stuff compared to years ago. But I feel good. I think the outputs are good. The S&C are happy so once they’re happy, I’m happy.
“I try and tend not to bog down with all that side of stuff. If there’s something that needs to improve or I need to pull back on a little bit I’m happy to delegate there.”
Furlong looks at rugby now and, generally, sees a greater “looseness” in games, something which was evident not just in Leinster’s 49-31 win over Edinburgh, but almost across the board in a high-scoring Champions Cup round of 16.
“There’s some of them, like the Toulouse game, and to be fair Bristol were loose enough as well… I think the kicking game and this thing in the air… It’s changing now where wingers are going back instead of people going up.
“Who’s going and contesting the ball? Some people are just slapping it down where it becomes loose there for a phase or two or three.
“You can see teams that are really good at it. Take France, take Toulouse, take Bordeaux. We scored a few nice ones the weekend. When the ball comes loose, who can play quicker? Who has athletes? Who has ball-players? Who can pick people off? It’s becoming just… It’s adding that extra kind of unstructured-ness to the whole thing.
“It’s probably only the last year, year and a half and even the last three, four months it’s changed again,” he adds.
“It’s just how teams are doing things. Everyone’s kind of adapting and changing as you go. With not being able to block and run it back. There was a while there where (it was) just two people going up for it and just scrum, scrum, scrum, scrum, scrum. Now it feels like slap-backs and it just makes it a bit looser on the ground.”
Sunday’s win over Edinburgh saw Leinster play some of their best attacking rugby of the season, while also conceding some poor tries through loose passing and handling.
“Last week was the first time we had everyone back in the building. And I thought last week, compared to the Scarlet’s week, it was a big week of growth for us.
“Getting on the same page and ironing out a few things and just getting cohesive together. I suppose the answer is in the postcard for Sunday, really, at where we’re at and where we’re getting to. It feels like we’re in a good place. It feels like we’re ready to push on and hungry to grow and all that.”
Tomorrow it’s a quarter-final date with Sale (KO 5.30pm), a game Leinster are expected to win, but Furlong stresses the challenge the Sharks can pose.
“Tough, like tough. I think they have a very good coaching staff there. (Alex) Sanderson has a good history in the competition. I’ve heard a lot of good stuff from Sale lads about him and his motivation.
“Obviously, Mike Forshaw, he’s coming from Wales, an international coach, obviously a northern man as well. They go good hard northern rugby, and they have a 10 (George Ford) there that’s well able to control the game, but also play a lot of ball if he wants to, so that’s what we’re expecting.
“We’re expecting a proper hard game of rugby.”
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Champions Cup Leinster Rugby Tadhg Furlong witness the fitness