Sunday 27 November 2016 11:06, UK
Tadhg Furlong has admitted feeling "embarrassed" by being tipped to win selection for next summer's British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand.
England's Dan Cole, Wales' Samson Lee and Scotland's WP Nel will all be in the mix for Lions selection, but Furlong has emerged as the standout tighthead across Ireland's impressive autumn series.
Ireland completed a 2016 clean sweep over the southern hemisphere's big three with Saturday's 27-24 victory over Australia in Dublin.
Furlong has catapulted himself to the front of the queue for the Lions' No 3 shirt next summer with a string of fine performances.
But the 24-year-old insists he feels a "big, big step" away from the Lions picture.
"It's kind of daunting in a way, to be honest with you," said prop Furlong of links to next summer's Lions squad.
"Because you know in your own head that 'jeez, my scrum wasn't great there' or 'my entry wasn't great here, and if I do this against a really great scrummaging pack, I'm going to be torn apart here'.
"That is your thought process. And with people throwing that out, you get kind of embarrassed.
"The Lions is synonymous with such a big brand and so many great players have played there. Do I see myself there at the minute? No.
"I think I have a long journey to go and, as I said, I've only started four games for Ireland, two Heineken Cup games for Leinster and it is a big, big step to be making those shouts."
