Anyone doubting the physicality of modern-day rugby union must only look at the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa as witness to the brutal demands made on players’ bodies.
After Saturday’s second Test, lost 28-25 against the Springboks, four Lions ended up in hospital with three ruled out of the third Test at Ellis Park here.
Included among those were Brian O’Driscoll (concussion), and Welsh prop duo Gethin Jenkins (broken cheekbone) and Adam Jones, who suffered a dislocated shoulder after a dangerous Bakkies Botha charge during the match.
PHOTO: EPA
Speaking after last weekend’s Test, Lions head coach Ian McGeechan admitted that he winced at the ferocity of impacts, even on the training pitch.
“If I get near half the stuff they do I think it looks too brutal for me,” said McGeechan, who played centre for Scotland and the Lions in the 1970s — entertaining stuff with its fair share of big men but a million miles away from the professional era of rugby union.
“But it’s intensity. You’ve got to play in a Lions Test to understand the level of commitment that goes into them,” he said.
“It’s for two reasons: our players still see the Lions jersey as the biggest jersey they can wear but our opponents also think the biggest Test they can play is a Lions Test,” McGeechan said.
“That has a huge amount of credibility on both sides and that’s why there’s such committment and devotion around a Lions Test series and that’s been shown in both these matches,” he said.
O’Driscoll joins a long list of players who have had their tour cut short because of injury.
Wales full-back Lee Byrne was last week sent home with a damaged thumb while Scotland prop Euan Murray was ruled out with an ankle injury in the build-up to the first Test. Welsh winger Leigh Halfpenny was a late arrival but didn’t last long with his ongoing thigh injury.
The Lions have also seen Wales captain Ryan Jones come and go almost immediately after being diagnosed with concussion on arrival in South Africa to replace Irishman Stephen Ferris (knee).
During the tour, James Hook (concussion), giant prop Andy Sheridan (back), Riki Flutey (knee), Mike Blair (foot), Keith Earls (shoulder) and Andy Powell (hand) have all had to miss games because of injuries.
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