Veteran Mike Ross insists he saw plenty in the 2016 RBS 6 Nations to suggest that Ireland’s front row is in safe hands for years to come.
The 36-year-old Ross started three of Ireland’s RBS 6 Nations games in the No.3 jersey and had a significant part to play in the Men in Green’s improvement at scrum time after struggling in their opening games against Wales and France.
Ireland were without Marty Moore for the entire Championship due to a hamstring injury, meaning Tadhg Furlong featured off the bench twice in those two opening clashes.
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And while Furlong – who was in Ireland’s 2015 Rugby World Cup squad – couldn’t propel Ireland to wins in those encounters, at 23 and with Moore just two years older, Ross is excited about the future.
“He’s (Furlong) a tremendous player around the pitch and he’s been doing pretty well in the games he’s played in, scrum-wise,” Ross told the Irish Independent.
“It’s not like he’s a bad scrummager. He’s a very good scrummager. I think it’s just that little bit of experience but that will come.
“Maybe a little bit more consistency but I think he’s a great player and between himself and Marty, they’ll be propping up the Irish scrum for the next decade at least.
“It’s a strange position. Your body has to absorb a lot of pressure. At tighthead you’re often pushing two against one because you’ll have their hooker and loosehead coming at you.
“You have to learn quickly. It requires a certain body frame, a certain mindset and a certain level of strength.
“It’s not a very glamorous position either. Kids probably don’t look at it when they’re younger. At schools, you’re only allowed push a metre and a half so that makes things difficult as well because then you’ll often see a more mobile guy selected over the better scrummager.
“Then, when it comes to playing the big boys, suddenly you have these kids who could survive at schools level but they just can’t at higher levels.”
