Third Lions man forced to go home

Press, 27 June 1983, Page 19

Third Lions man forced to go home

NZPA staff correspondent Whangarei The British Lions paid a heavy price for their 21-12 win over North Auckland at Okara Park on Saturday, one which has seen their second player in three days forced to return home prematurely and their third replacement in the same period summoned from Britain. Their win was eked out at the injury cost of the veteran Welsh flanker, Jeff Squire, and the extremely talented English half-bdck, Nigel Melville. The injuries suffered by these two players, both in a torrid first half on Saturday, will see Squire return home on Wednesday, unable to play rugby for at least three weeks, and Melville possibly unable to play again on tour, although he will remain with the Lions party. Their losses bring the week’s injury toll for the tourists to four. First, the Welsh prop, lan Stephens, was felled during training last Thursday by the recurrence of a knee ligament injury and was found to be unable to take further part in the tour. With his leg plastered and splinted and a replacement player — the Irishman, Gerry McLoughlin — already making ready to join the touring team, Stephens in turn made ready to board

a Wednesday flight for home. Then an X-ray examination of a nagging back injury which has bedevilled the Welsh lock, Robert Norster, since the second test showed a bone defect which made his further participation in the tour unlikely. Though Norster will remain with the team, an Irishman, Donal Lenihan, has been summoned as a replacement. Lenihan was originally named to tour but had to withdraw at the last minute. Only six minutes into the first half against North Auckland, Melville was knocked to the ground by what the Lions’ manager, Willie John Mcßride, believes was a deliberate punch. Melville will be replaced by the Englishman, Steve Smith, the man who in 1980 was called to South Africa for the Lions before the last test, watched it from the substitutes’ bench,and flew home again. So brief was his represenation that he took the British Isles insignia from his team blazer, believing he was not qualified to wear it. Over all, the Lions’ 1983 injury record is: three players, all Welshmen, forced home prematurely, five replacements, and two players with the team who are unlikely to play again,