Tadhg Furlong hadn’t even started a match in the RBS 6 Nations going into this year’s Championship, but nonetheless was being touted as a contender for this summer’s British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand.
The 19-stone Leinster tighthead had been uprooting trees, and plenty of opposing props, in the preceding months, not least in Ireland’s historic first-ever victory over the All Blacks in November.
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Along with Jack McGrath and Rory Best, Furlong was part of a front row that gave Ireland a platform they made the made the most of to spectacular effect in their stunning 40-29 win in Chicago.
It kicked off a successful autumn for Joe Schmidt’s side and the 24-year-old took his form into the continental stage with Leinster, as they qualified for the quarter-finals of the European Champions Cup with something to spare.
His destructiveness in the scrum, allied with some powerful charges in the loose, led to plenty of calls for him to be competing for a Lions jersey.
This wasn’t exactly music to the ears for the unassuming Furlong, who said in an interview with Telegraph last month: “I find that embarrassing because I only played three games in the autumn.
“I don’t see myself there yet. Clearly it is a dream for every rugby player but I feel I have a lot to prove to myself in the RBS 6 Nations.
“Maybe then you can start targeting it but I think it is dangerous to start thinking about anything like that right now.”
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While Ireland’s Championship hopes were ended in Cardiff last weekend, the Leinsterman has continued to prove himself both in the tight, and with his powerful carrying.
Furlong grew up on his family’s farm in Campile, Wexford and combined playing rugby in the winter with Gaelic football in the summer until he was 16 years old.
He eventually joined Leinster’s academy in 2010, although he had to overcome some setbacks on his way to the first team, as he needed reconstructive surgery to his shoulder, while also once suffering a lacerated kidney.
He eventually made his senior debut against the Newport Gwent Dragons in November 2013 and within two years, he was stepping out for his country.
After being given his debut in Ireland’s World Cup warm-up against Wales in August 2015, Schmidt named Furlong in his 31-man squad for the tournament, in which he made one replacement appearance against Romania at Wembley Stadium.
He spent last year’s RBS 6 Nations as Mike Ross’ understudy, but since making his first international start against South Africa last summer Furlong hasn’t looked back, and he appears to relish the chance to go head-to-head with his opposite numbers in the set-piece.
“You look at the opposition hooker and tighthead, the way they are setting up, what the loosehead is doing with his head and his foot positioning; all that stuff,” Furlong added.
“Then when you are in there it is all by feel. You can’t see what you look like, but when you analyse scrums, you can see what you looked like but you need to remember what you felt like when you were there. A lot of it comes down to the feel.”
It’s a natural ability that still has plenty of time to flourish in the years ahead and it just might give Furlong the chance to test himself against the world champions again in a few months’ time.
For now his focus will be on getting the upper hand in the scrum against champions England and loosehead duo Mako Vunipola and Joe Marler.
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