British and Irish Lions 2017: Tadhg Furlong, the young Lion who has beaten New Zealand twice in eight months
The 24-year-old has achieved something twice which legends of the game never managed
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Your support makes all the difference.Brian O’Driscoll, one of the greatest Northern Hemisphere players to step onto a rugby pitch went through his whole career without ever beating the mighty All Blacks, yet, at 24 years old, Tadhg Furlong is days away from attempting to do just that for a third time in less than a year.
Eight months on from Ireland’s historic victory over New Zealand in Chicago, the first time the men from the Emerald Isle have ever defeated the Kiwis, the Lions repeated the feat for the first time since 1993.
Furlong has impressed in the Lions front row throughout the Test series and is set to start the third, final and decisive Test against New Zealand at Eden Park on Saturday looking for only the Lions’ second-ever series win over them.
Whilst all eyes are on the return to the stadium the All Blacks haven’t lost at since 1994, Furlong is fully aware of how fortunate he is to be playing in sides that have the talent to rival such a formidable team.
“Yeah, I'm incredibly lucky,” the tighthead admitted. “I'd refer back to when we were playing New Zealand in Chicago with Ireland and lads had lost to New Zealand five or six times and I’d never played against them.
“They'd talk about their experiences and what works and what doesn't work. Like, I didn't know what to expect.
“To beat New Zealand in my first game playing them, knowing so many people had gone before, played them five or six times and never beaten them, legends of the game, you feel incredibly lucky in many ways, privileged, and to do it twice, even more so.”
To have the achievements Furlong has at such a tender age is something he isn’t trying to dwell on just yet, though, with Warren Gatland’s squad preparing for the biggest game of their lives.
“You probably don't think about that until the season's over. There's one game left in the season.and it's probably the biggest Test match in any of our squad's lives. You probably leave that to somewhere when you're laying around and not doing much to think about that.”
While the forward pack were lauded for their performance in Wellington against the 14 men of New Zealand, it was the performance in the first Test, and the manner in how they were outshone by their superiors in black which he admits spurred them on.
Maro Itoje and Sam Warburton were drafted in and the front row were reminded of their responsibilities but Furlong rejected suggestions that Gatland and his coaches read the riot act to the side after the Eden Park defeat.
“I wouldn't say the riot act was read,” he added. “We were probably challenged as rugby players and as a forward pack, which I think was fair enough to do after the first Test.
“The weather conditions meant that we had to man up in some aspects so I wouldn't say the riot act was read but lads were challenged.
"To be honest, for five minutes it just felt like we were going from scrum to scrum. As a front row with the dog fight there, it was tough going. You're holding on and trying to do this, that and the other - it expends a whole lot of energy. The first 25 minutes, you're just trying to slot in and do your job and not stick out because you're fatigued from the scrum.
“After that, it's a Test match. It's a huge game, a huge occasion and stuff does get a little bit heated at times but I think that's the nature of the game sometimes. There's nothing really intentional that goes on.”
Gatland taunted the All Blacks following the win on Saturday, claiming the Lions had “poked the bear” and questioned where the magical, free-flowing rugby was for which Steve Hansen’s side are famous for.
But is their aura really gone or is Gatland just playing another of his famous mind games?
“It's a tough question to answer. I think you always fear the All Blacks in the way that if you don't get your stuff sorted, if you don't man up and meet them head on head it's a tough day at the office.”
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