IRELAND HAVE BEEN here before and in remarkably similar fashion. It was the week of the 2023 Six Nations opener against Wales and Tadhg Furlong was ruled out of the visit to the Principality Stadium with a calf injury that kept sidelined until the fourth round of the championship. Finlay Bealham stood up impressively at tighthead in Furlong’s absence.
Being the starter at Test level was a new role for the Connacht man at that stage but he was excellent in the wins over Wales and France before he suffered a knee injury in the third-round win over Italy. It was ideal timing that Furlong could return for the closing two games against Scotland and England but there’s no doubt that Bealham had a major role in Ireland landing the Grand Slam that year. Ulster’s Tom O’Toole backed up Bealham and then Furlong, making replacement appearances in all five games as he too showed he could step up to the mark at the highest level.
Now Ireland are hoping something similar will happen. Furlong has been ruled out of this weekend’s Six Nations opener against England but they hope to see him back in action before the end of the championship given that the recurrence of his calf injury from earlier this season doesn’t seem to be as significant. Either way, it’s clearly a major blow for Ireland to lose a world-class player.
Bealham is primed to continue as the starting tighthead prop having been in the number three shirt for all four Tests last November when Furlong wasn’t fit. It�.
