Eales an inspiring mentor

ASPIRING rugby players at Bond University have the perfect shoulder to lean on when they need advice.

John Eales is the most successful captain in the history of the Wallabies and not a bad mentor to have on speed dial, especially when you are dealing with a shoulder reconstruction. Eales had three of them.

That’s the scenario for Bond University students and recipients of the John Eales Rugby Excellence Scholarship.

For no.8 Lachlan Connors, ruled out of the season with a shoulder injury, the advice and mentorship is invaluable.

“It is awesome to have his number in your phone and being able to call him whenever you need advice,” he said.

“He’s always good for a chat and mentoring as well. He talks about life goals a lot.

“He tries to set us up for life, not just rugby or academics. I had a shoulder reconstruction in March and the rehab has been slow. I have a lot of time until next season, so it’s been very frustrating. John has had three of them, so he knows ... how to attack it.”

The two-time Rugby World Cup winner was on campus yesterday to meet face-to-face with the students.

“I speak to them on the phone regularly, from the boys’ perspective I am always available to them to call,” he said.

“These guys have two really important focuses and it is a great credit that they are taking on what is a big challenge. They are great life lessons, how do you come back from an injury, how do you manage competing interests and the benefits of working really hard in a team environment.”