Lion's stalwart Furlong 'fit and ready to go' ahead of Argentina Test

The importance to the British & Irish Lions of Tadhg Furlong's return to full fitness has been underlined by both Andy Farrell and Tadhg Beirne, with the tighthead prop veteran named on the bench to face Argentina on Friday at Aviva Stadium.
Following a season blighted with calf issues which has reduced the 32-year-old's 2024-25 campaign to just seven appearances for Leinster and a mere 33 minutes of Test rugby with Ireland, Furlong will get the opportunity in Dublin to prove his worth to the Lions ahead of the tour to Australia having not played since May 3.
'He's fit and ready to go and train well,' Farrell said of the 2017 and 2021 Lions tourist. 'And he's as keen as everyone else to get the show on the road.
"He's a Lions stalwart, isn't he? He's been there and done that. He spoke up in his first meeting that he was in with the team and said it doesn't matter what anyone has been through, there's no excuses at the weekend. So that's where he's at."
Beirne described his Ireland packmate as a big game player and leader within the squad.
'Look, he's one of the best props to do it, isn't he?' the Munster captain said. 'When he's at his best, I think you probably see that.
'If anyone's asked who's one of the best tightheads in the world, who's played the game, he's certainly in the conversation every single time.
'So from the first time I played with him, Under-20s, he was a standout player. To play with him in Ireland, he's been a standout player. He always raises for the big games as well.
'He's a big game player. What people probably don't see is the leadership he has behind closed doors. He probably doesn't show that as much to the outside world, but he is a leader within the group.
'He's also an incredibly intelligent rugby player. Certainly one of the smartest front rows I've come across. That's probably why he's always been able to perform at the top level.'
Farrell also gave positive updates on a trio of injured players, full-back Hugo Keenan, centre Huw Jones and scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park, who had missed Leinster's URC Grand Final win over the Bulls last Saturday with a glute injury.
The Lions boss said all should be fit to face Western Force on Saturday week in their opening tour game in Perth.

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Irish Times

34 minutes ago

• Irish Times

Five things we learned from the Lions' loss to Argentina

Finlay Bealham and Ellis Genge are mighty good together in the scrum Finlay Bealham may have been a late call-up to the Lions team following Zander Fagerson's unfortunate injury but the Connacht and Ireland tighthead prop - in tandem with Ellis Genge, the Lions' best player on the night, and the rest of the pack - gave the Argentina scrum a torrid time for most of the game before a raft of changes rendered that aspect of the game messier, especially as referee James Doleman became less inclined to intervene, preferring to let the game flow. The scrum provided a perfect launch pad for the Bundee Aki try. What will rankle a little is that the Lions didn't maximise their dominance in terms of putting points on the scoreboard, letting Argentina off the hook after going to the corner several times. On balance though, and when considering that the Lions will bring in additional size and ballast, it was a standout success on the night. The lineout needs to be addressed A penalty try was awarded after Argentina illegally stopped a lineout maul but, generally, there were too many turnovers on the Lions' throw. What will irk Lions forward coach John Dalziel most is that a couple of them seemed to be the result of system malfunctions rather than throwing errors. No one expects perfection but the pride will be wounded. Credit must go to Argentina for the manner in which they got jumpers in the air to challenge and also the way they defended the maul, particularly one near their own line late on when the Lions called in the auxiliaries from the backline. The Lions' capacity to add size in the secondrow and backrow could have a positive knock-on effect for the lineout. READ MORE Argentina's Juan Martín González and Ignacio Mendy compete in the air with Fin Smith during the Lions' defeat in Dublin on Friday. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho Argentina exposed Lions' weakness in the air Australia head coach Joe Schmidt will have taken note of Argentina's clever aerial work in isolating Fin Smith and Marcus Smith in one-on-one duels. Argentinian outhalf and man of the match Tomás Albornoz managed to pick out Smith when the Lions outhalf was defending on the wing initially. Andy Farrell then switched Smith from fullback to the wing, but he fared no better in that capacity. When the Lions get to the Test series in Australia, they are likely to have a different shape, with Ireland's James Lowe and Hugo Keenan especially strong contenders in the air. Mack Hansen added energy and impetus when he arrived off the bench. It was a little surprising that Tommy Freeman, who made some fine catches, didn't slip into the backfield to add a more robust aerial presence. Lions will fail if they don't learn to pass better There was plenty to admire in the Lions' attacking shape and the tempo of their play in the opening 20-minutes, which would have yielded a couple of tries but for a couple of knocks-ons. Despite that early promise, an over-reliance on throwing offloads would prove very debilitating, with several attacks undermined by poor decisions or passes. The ball hit the ground far too often. Making those passes stick is something that will come with familiarity. Or at least it should. Statistically, the Lions racked up the better numbers across various categories. They had 15 22-metres entries to the Pumas six, made 401 post-contact metres to their opponents 107, conceded five penalties to their opponents 12, had superior ruck speed, 29 per cent to their opponents 19 per cent in the premium 0-3 second category, had 53 per cent possession and 61 per cent territory and had superior gain-line success. Lions were too cumbersome on turnovers The video review will be a disappointing watch for the Lions, because it will show how they conceded tries from turnovers. Argentina were outstanding in exploiting those mistakes, especially in the manner in which they kept the ball alive, the timing of the passes and the sharp interplay and support to punish the Lions from long range. But it was just a tad easy at times as the Lions didn't scramble effectively to contain the initial breach. The Pumas were much more adept in that capacity, particularly when asked to hang on to their lead in a nervy end game. They shut down the Lions through the middle, encouraged them to go wide and then forced them back inside into cluttered culs-de-sac. Argentina's resilience proved decisive. Time will iron out many of the issues, but it won't assuage the short-term disappointment and the feeling that the Lions let slip a chance to win.

The 42

37 minutes ago

• The 42

Lions set off for Australia after an error-strewn opener

ANDY FARRELL HASN'T got pissed off at his Ireland team too often over the last five years. To be fair, he doesn't often have great cause to be angry with them. But what seems to really get him worked up is performances like the one the Lions delivered last night. There were lots of bright moments from Farrell's team and he will pick out the green shoots in the performance as he reviews it during today's long-haul flight to Perth, but he strongly dislikes when his team looks less energetic and alert than the opposition. Argentina always play with passion and pride. Those things seemed even a little elevated last night as they pulled off an historic win. It just seemed wrong that this wasn't a capped international game as the Pumas celebrated their deserved victory. But Farrell will question how it was that his team looked a little less passionate and proud. He would have hated a moment like the one that saw Argentina streak away for a sucker-punch of a try just before half time. Duhan van der Merwe losing control of the ball as he was tackled around 15 metres out from the Argentina tryline was typical of a night when the Lions were too loose with possession. But then, with the ball bobbling on the ground, it was the Pumas who reacted sharply to scoop it up and surge away down the other end. Ultimately, that was the deciding of the contest and while it took scintillating skill from Argentina to score it, Farrell will feel it was sloppy and lethargic from his side. He hates when his team lose the 'scraps' on the ground in such instances or when the ball breaks from an aerial contest. Ireland have made it a point of pride to be the best at hoovering up the scraps and he will want his Lions team to do much better in that regard. Advertisement Duhan van der Merwe and Ben Earl. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO Those uncommon times when he has clearly been annoyed after Ireland games also usually come when his players have been wasteful with the ball. There were many instances of that from the Lions last night. They repeatedly got into promising situations only to throw a loose pass or offload directly to an Argentinian player or slightly behind a team-mate. This kind of stuff can happen because of overexcitement or overeagerness, which seems likely given that these Lions players know they only have a few more games in which to state their Test credentials. These errors can also happen when people are distracted by something like a flight to Australia the next day. We won't be able to put our finger on it from outside the Lions camp, but Farrell has already made it clear that this stuff is unacceptable to him. The lineout was also a major weakness on the night, with a 78% return on their own throw limiting how often they could strike at the Pumas. And yet, even while Farrell set out his stall with his show of annoyance and refusal to make excuses, this kind of stuff isn't entirely unexpected on opening night for the Lions. Unconvincing performances in the Lions' first game are not a rarity. It's also worth underlining that the Lions' first game isn't usually against one of the best teams in the world, which is what Argentina are. Ranked fifth in the official World Rugby list, Felipe Contepomi's men had a fine 2024 season and picked up where they left off. They're a creative, gritty team and they made the Lions' lives difficult. The Australian Super Rugby teams may be inspired to produce next-level performances, but the Argentina game could be the Lions' toughest pre-Test challenge. It certainly wasn't all doom and gloom for the Lions. Their scrum was excellent, with Ellis Genge and Finlay Bealham impressing as they won several important penalties from a proud Pumas pack. Henry Pollock in Dublin. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO There were more than a few glimpses of quality from the Lions attack, including two clever plays from goal line drop-outs, which have been a calling card for Ireland under Farrell. Some of their phase-play shapes were smooth as they stretched the Pumas. The Bundee Aki and Tadhg Beirne tries were excellent, while a maul penalty try is always a happy moment for the forwards. The slick skills from Luke Cowan-Dickie, Marcus Smith, Sione Tuipulotu, and Fin Smith before Aki finished powerfully shows what the Lions can do when their handling is accurate. The power from Ben Earl and particularly Genge before Beirne's try was a reminder of the athleticism in this squad, their carries paving the way for scrum-half Tomos Williams to deftly pick out Beirne running a clever line to finish. Most Lions players had good moments and made a couple of errors. Some of them know they now have ground to make up, and the players who watched from the stands last night must sense an opportunity to make a statement against the Western Force next Saturday in Perth. Happily, the Lions didn't appear to pick up any big injuries last night and they will still set off for Australia this morning in optimistic form. The show is on the road and Farrell has laid down a marker for what he wants to see from these Lions.

The Irish Sun

an hour ago

• The Irish Sun

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