Nearly a fotnight after playing his part in Ireland's first ever win against the All Blacks, Tadhg Furlong sat in front of the media ahead of playing New Zealand in Dublin.
The tighthead prop was asked about the abundance of congratulations which he had received following the historic victory. 'Heaps' of text messages and calls were sent his way.
One of those texts was not from his father, James. It was Tadhg who had to make the call home following the game.
Tadhg Furlong is a retiring individual but his father is even more reticent. One of the reasons James Furlong had not been in contact with his son was that he does not own a mobile phone.
The landline. You have to ring the landline! He just said fair play — he’d be a man of few words.
He doesn’t have a mobile phone so he’s no way to text you!
The possibility of buying his father a phone for Christmas was not an opportunity which he had countenanced.
'Sure what do I want a mobile phone for?’ That’s what he’d say to me.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Tadhg gave an update regarding his father's mobile phone situation. Following his November revelation, the Furlongs's local pub, Hart's Bar, started the 'Buy James Furliong a mobile phone fund' which is still ongoing.
Asked by The Telegraph's Daniel Schofield if his father has email access, there was an unsurprising answer.
No, no, no. He has got the mentality that he likes his own space and time. He doesn’t like to be bothered. His mentality is, ‘If someone wants me then they can pop into the house and get me.’ It is not a bad way to be in the modern world.
Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
