THE SAM WARBURTON Q&A
AFTER sitting out the last two games with an ankle problem, tour captain Sam Warburton is back to skipper the Lions against the Highlanders in Dunedin. Here are his thoughts. Q: Can you talk us through how you picked up the injury? A: It was about 15 minutes into the Barbarians game. I remember thinking ‘Oh no, this can’t be happening.’
Over the next five minutes it was sore, but I’ve had a few bumps now and I tend to know when it’s something serious and I have to come off.
I carried on, then iced it up for a couple of days and was back running on the Tuesday.
So it wasn’t that bad an injury, but it just meant I couldn’t take any part in getting ready for the Blues game. We thought it would be better to be safe rather than sorry and have an extra couple of days to make sure it was absolutely right for the Highlanders.
If I’d been on the bench for the Crusaders it could potentially have ruled me out of this game.
I’m just desperate to get some minutes under my belt. I know when I do I’ll be absolutely fine, so I’m delighted to be getting this start. Q: What’s the technology when it comes to treating an ankle injury like that? A: We’ve got machines where we plug them in and there’s a programme you set on that and it’s filled with ice, and you put it in an insulated bag so the ice doesn’t melt overnight, and it probably lasts about six-seven hours and you can set it to come on automatically every one and a half to two hours.
You stay in bed, but every hour and a half you wake up from the humming noise of this ice machine and obviously your freezing cold ankle, and then it goes off. So you’re awake for quarter of an hour and go to sleep again, so it’s just like having a baby which I’m perfectly used to waking me up every hour and a half!
I had to do a couple of nights of that and then I was back up and running, so it wasn’t too bad. Q: At what point did you realise you’d be ready to go this week? A: I think I pretty much knew Friday I had a good crack at playing against the Highlanders. I knew straight away it wasn’t going to be anything serious.
I probably only missed one or two sessions. I was still doing some running with the physios, so my preparation hasn’t really changed a whole lot. I knew I wasn’t going to start the Crusaders game because Sean and Peter were going to start that one and I was hoping to get involved in this game. So not much has changed really.
I’ve always said I think I need a couple of games to get up and running, so I’ll definitely be better on Tuesday and better for the first two hit-outs. So I’m looking forward to getting a bit more game time under my belt and fine tuning a few things.
Now we’ve all had a game, it feels more like audition time for the Test series because everybody has got that game under their belt. You know they’re going to start putting their Test team together pretty soon. Q: Is there any way you might start against the Maori on Saturday as well? A: I haven’t had that conversation but I think it would be very unlikely. After having two months out, then coming back and only having two games under my belt, from a soft tissue perspective maybe that wouldn’t be the safest thing for me to do right now.
If they ask me to do it, I’ll do it of course, but I’ve been around long enough to think it’s probably unlikely that I would start that game.
The bench is a bit different. You might just get a 20-30 minute hit-out, which would be quite a nice little top-up. Players quite like it when they’re picked on the bench because it keeps you simmering throughout the week.
But Justin will surely need a game, Toby will be back, Ross Moriarty will need a game. These guys have to play as well.
So it’s difficult. Other players need to play and put their hands up and have a crack as well. You have to realise there is a rotation element to that as well. Q: Do you feel you have work to do to get in that Test team even though you are tour captain? A: I definitely need more games. I admit that and I knew that coming into the tour. I’ve learned from experience that it takes me at least two games and then the third game I’ll probably be playing some good rugby, but Gats knew that.
I’ve perceived this role as tour captain and I know there’s every chance I might not even get involved in that first Test.
I see it as tour captain and if I’ve make the Test then that would be a bonus for me. But I’ve said there’s three Tests to try and get selected for so it’s not the be all and end all with the first one.
I’ll be honest with Gats and he will be perfectly honest with me. If I play Tuesday and I still feel like I’m a bit undercut, then I might not be ready for that first Test.
Maybe that would be the situation, of maybe I could have a blinder on Tuesday and feel absolutely fine. You have to see how it goes really.
I’ll have to play it by ear, but I’ll be perfectly honest with Warren and if I feel I need more games then I’ll tell him if I don’t feel ready. And if I feel ready then I’ll obviously let him know that with a good performance. Q: With the impressive displays by the men wearing 6, 7 and 8 against the Crusaders, the back row is looking a difficult place to get into, isn’t it? A: I thought going into this tour, looking at the eight boys picked in the back-row, you could pick any three for the Test team. They are all that good. It’s a nice luxury for the coaches and great competition for us as players.
A lot of players will put a massive emphasis on that first Test, but from my experience from four years ago a lot can happens in those three weeks of Test matches. Guys might be feeling a little bit rushed to show all their cards now, their best form, but we’ve got to remember the first Test is not the be-all and end-all. There are still two more Tests after that. Q: Talking about the back row competition, how high do you think Sean O’Brien set a standard in the 7 shirt? A: When people have asked me over the years who I think are the best sevens in world rugby, I’ve always said if I had to name five I’d put Justin and Sean in that top five, both of them.
It was the same going back four years ago, there was immense competition between us then. Justin and Sean are two of the fiercest competitors I’ve ever come up against.
It’s a lovely luxury to have. You could lose a couple of guys at openside and you’ll already put in someone else who has Test experience at Lions level. Q: What do you think you need to show Warren in terms of proving you are ready to go? A: When I play well and I am match-fit, I am aggressive in the tackle, I’ll contribute a handful of good carries, you become a lineout option, and more importantly, which hasn’t really been a big factor in the last three games, is turnovers. We haven’t really seen a whole lot of turnovers.
I always say to young back-rowers, if you want to become a top class back-row player, you’ve got to be a specialist at something.
Whether that’s a 6 who’s a specialist ball-carrier or a specialist tackler or lineout option or work on the floor. I guess my one specialist element which is better than anything else would be the contact area.
So I guess I have to deliver in that area on Tuesday. That’s my role of expertise. You want to have a well-rounded game, but I think that is one area, as the Lions, we can step up - turnover and contact area. Q: Alun Wyn Jones has spoken about it not just being the 23 but the 41. Can you talk about that mindset a bit given you weren’t involved in the Crusaders game? I was sat in the stands and I was probably even more nervous than if I was playing, I was absolutely desperate for us to get a win. It was really good that we did win for momentum. All the guys who aren’t can’t wait to clap the boys onto the pitch and congratulate them when they come back into the changing room.
It does feel like an achievement as a 41 not a 23. That’s what’s special about Lions tour. Watching the game, I could see those guys absolutely finish themselves to get that performance and I feel we owe that back to those guys on Tuesday with another good performance against the Highlanders.