After five days in isolation, Squire is raring to go
It can be a lonely life in the All Blacks. Well, when you’ve got a potentially destabilising virus, and you’re considered a high-risk chance of infection, it certainly can be.
That was Liam Squire’s lot for five days either side of the touropening clash against the Barbarians in London when he came down with a bug and was confined to barracks and isolated from the rest of a squad that ballooned to 43 as they hit Paris.
The burly no-nonsense blindside flanker revealed the extent of his illness when he spoke to the media in Lyon after his selection to start at No 6 against a France XV at Groupama Stadium on Tuesday night (Wednesday NZT).
It’s a potentially crucial outing for the Highlanders and Tasman loose forward. He demonstrates his illness hasn’t depleted his energy levels any for however many minutes coach Steve Hansen keeps him out there, there’s a high chance he backs up in the test against Scotland at Murrayfield next Saturday.
Squire has emerged as Hansen’s first-choice No 6 through the Rugby Championship, and the coach revealed he would have started against France had it not been for the bout of illness that left him unable to train on the Tuesday of Paris test week.
‘‘I had a bit of a virus in London and went down on the Thursday night,’’ revealed Squire. ‘‘I spent pretty much from then till Wednesday [in Paris] just in bed crook. It was good to get that out of the way.’’
The 13-test No 6 said he was never concerned he had contracted the mumps virus that had laid low both Jack Goodhue and Rieko Ioane (in non-related incidents) around the start of the tour, but did admit it had been hard going waiting for the bug to go its course.
‘‘I was isolated in my room. I wouldn’t have wanted to get any of the other boys crook, so I stayed isolated for five days. I was a bit lonely.’’
But now he has come out the other side, tucked away a couple of hard raining sessions and is ready to give his coach whatever minutes he needs from him here on Tuesday night.
‘‘My mindset is to play as long as I can until the coach pulls me,’’ he said. ‘‘My lungs are probably not 100 per cent, but the best thing at the moment is just to run it off, and air them out as much as I can.
‘‘We had training today (Sunday, before leaving Paris) and I felt pretty good.
‘‘It will be good to get out and play a little bit of footy.’’
Hansen is a big fan of the physicality and direct style Squire brings to top-notch tests. He has an exciting alternative in the developing Vaea Fifita, but right now Squire fits the bill.
The coach revealed the 6-2 reserves split for Lyon had been decided upn directly to give their big blindside the cover they would need to protect his minutes against the French XV. ‘‘If we want to use him against Scotland he can’t play the whole game here.’’
Squire was happy to be part of what he considered an exciting occasion with a half-dozen players set to pull on the black jersey for the first time, and said he was enjoying his newfound senior status in that group.
But he is desperate to regain his test spot.
‘‘It sucked to be stuck in bed last week, and I see Tuesday as a chance to put my best foot forward for Saturday. I’d love to put a performance out there.’’