The first paragraph of Tadhg Furlong's Wikipedia page reads as follows:
"Tadhg Furlong is an Irish rugby union player for Leinster Rugby. His preferred position is tighthead prop. He comes from a farming family."
That about sums up the New Ross man, though it most certainly downplays his impact for both province and country over the past 12 months.
Furlong's outrageous barrelling of three Kiwis during Ireland's second All Blacks Test was a welcome to international rugby of sorts...for Brodie Retallick, Owen Franks and Kieran Read. But that rampage, along with the resurfacing of footage of a 12-year Furlong playing Gaelic football, and his WWE-inspired new nickname, have seen him rapidly become a cult hero nationwide.
The mischievous, self-deprecating side to Furlong has also captured the imagination of the folks at Sky Sports. Graham Simmons sat down with the Leinster prop ahead of Montpellier's visit to the RDS this evening, and the pair had a thoroughly enjoyable three-minute interview - one which Simmons admitted he found it exceedingly difficult to cut down from 30 minutes for the match coverage.
Here, Furlong explains how he deals with the consistent mispronunciation of his first name, how he duped certain lofty figures at Leinster into believing he was raised on a truffle farm, and why he brings his pillow with him on away trips.
Magnificent stuff from the Wexford man. The next 10 or so year should be a right blast.
