Rugby World magazine has named Tadhg Furlong as the ninth best player in the world right now.
Furlong's rise since making his international debut two years ago has been meteoric. Along with Johnny Sexton and Conor Murray, he is one of the few players who, if they departed Irish rugby to play in France or England, would still probably be selected. Given that he has just signed a new three-year deal, that is a prospect we may never see tested.
The Leinster prop is one of seven Irish in the top 100 which featured both male and female players.
The other Irish players on the list are:
92. Cian Healy
70. Peter O'Mahony
38. Iain Henderson
32. Sean O'Brien
21. Conor Murray
12. Johnny Sexton.
The top 10 is as follows:
1. Owen Farrell (England)
2. Beauden Barrett (New Zealand)
3. Leone Nakarawa (Fiji)
4. Maro Itoje (England)
5. Israel Folau (Australia)
6. Stuart Hogg (Scotland)
7. Jonathan Davies (Wales)
8. Michael Hooper (Australia)
9. Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)
10. Brodie Retallick (New Zealand)
New Zealand has the most players on the list with 24, followed by England with 19 and Australia with eight.
Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
