Ireland handed massive fitness boost ahead of Italy clash
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Back in action.
Ireland have just been handed a huge boost ahead of their Round 2 Six Nations clash with Italy — and it could be the lift Andy Farrell’s pack desperately needed.
Tadhg Furlong is back training and looking sharp.
The 33-year-old prop, who missed Ireland’s 36-14 defeat to France with a troublesome calf issue suffered in January, has resumed full training, including live scrummaging sessions with the squad this week.
Assistant coach John Fogarty didn’t mince words about how important Furlong’s return could be…
“He’s healthy. He’s massive (for us),” Fogarty said.
“He’s played three Lions Series and nine Tests in those series. So he brings in all the experience and confidence… It’s brilliant to have a player like him back.”
That combination of experience, raw power and set-piece nous is precisely what Ireland’s front row missed in Paris, where their scrum platform was one of the few elements that held up against a rampant French pack.
Fogarty added that the sessions so far — especially the scrummaging and contact work — have shown Furlong is moving exactly like a player who could be back in the matchday squad this Saturday:
“He’s trained now. We’ve done live scrums… he did the session. So, yeah, it’s brilliant to have a player like him back,” Fogarty added.
With the final call on his availability expected at Thursday’s team announcement, Ireland fans will be watching those updates closely — because a healthy Furlong isn’t just another body in the pack.
He’s one of the few world-class tightheads who can anchor the scrum, make hard metres early and set the tone physically.
