Fans laud Garry Ringrose after centre rules himself out of second test
It must be even harder when you have to make that decision yourself just like Garry Ringrose had to before the second test against the Wallabies.
He was slated to start alongside Bundee Aki in the centre but after training on Thursday, he told Andy Farrell he was still suffering some concussion symptoms that ruled him out of the first test.
It meant that Huw Jones starts again at 13 alongside Aki, who replaces Sione Tuipulotu in 12 after the Scot was ruled out with a tight hamstring. Garry Ringrose and Duhan van der Merwe. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie
Speaking to the media after announcing his squad for Saturday, Lions Head Coach Andy Farrell said that Ringrose's withdrawal came as a surprise to him as the Leinster man hadn't been struggling following Tuesday's outing against the First Nations & Pasifika.
'So there was no incident. He was feeling good, well in advance of Tuesday, and fit and ready to play.' Garry Ringrose. Pic: INPHO/Billy Stickland
'No incident through the game at all, nothing yesterday and nothing this morning at all, but with these type of things, players are getting very good at telling the truth of how they feel, so it was a no-brainer to make the change straight away.
'It's very easy to keep it to yourself and lie and not be honest and open. It was very big of him and the right thing to do, 100%. For the team as well, not just for Garry.'
Lions captain Maro Itoje continued that sentiment of commending Ringrose for making the uneasy decision to rule himself out of a Lions test match. Garry Ringrose of the British & Irish Lions charges upfield. Pic:'To play with him and get to know him over the last couple of months has been a real privilege and honour. I'm gutted for him that he's in this position,' Itoje told the press.
'But, also, it shows the measure of the man to be so selfless. All we ask of all of us is to be selfless and put the team first.
'When push comes to shove, you see who really does it. Garry is a man who really did it.'
Concussion is obviously a hot topic in rugby these days and while a lot of measures have been put in to help limit the number of head traumas, so often the symptoms go unnoticed unless the player speaks up themselves. Garry Ringrose of British & Irish Lions during the tour match against First Nations & Pasifika XV. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Reacting to the news on Twitter, one commenter said; 'It's a great, powerful piece of role modelling by Ringrose. If a guy desperate to be a test Lion is happy to self declare his concussion symptoms, hopefully players at community level can realise that their health comes first when they have concussion symptoms.'
Another said; 'Terrible to hear Ringrose's post concussion symptoms have returned. Good on him for stepping aside after being told he was set to get his Lions test debut on the weekend. This is not soft as some old boys may think. There is a responsibility for the jersey and his own future.'
Lastly Progressive Rugby, a non-profit player welfare group commented on Twitter that; 'Absolute fair play to Ringrose but he should never have been in this position – the minimum stand down period for a concussion / traumatic brain injury must be 21 days at professional level, as it is at amateur. And he shouldn't have been playing last Tuesday.' Garry Ringrose. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
It's a heartbreaking turn of events for Ringrose but as many have said, he's made the right call if he didn't feel 100%. There's still a third test to come so hopefully he can recover in time for that next Saturday but this may have been his only chance to dawn the Lions jersey in this series.
Saturday is still a huge day for the Lions as a win in front of nearly 100,000 people at the Melbourne Cricket Ground will secure the series and it would be the first series the Lions have won since 2013.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
16 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Padraig Harrington had 'no idea' Rory McIlroy was supporting him at Senior Open
Padraig Harrington was so locked in during his final round at the Senior Open that he didn't even realise Rory McIlroy was in attendance cheering him on. McIlroy is currently building a home in London and popped down to Sunningdale to take in the final round of the major championship, and was no doubt cheering on Harrington as he won his third senior major title. After carding 65s on Friday and Saturday, a 67 did the business for the 53-year-old, who became just the fifth man ever to win a Senior Open and an Open Championship with his victory in Berkshire. Throughout the week, Harrington had spoken about how his mental resilience was being tested as he battled a swing that he wasn't comfortable with. He kept his focus all afternoon however, and hardly noticed that he had effectively wrapped up the Championship with a fine showing through 17 holes on Sunday. 'The only time I saw a leaderboard was on 18,' said Harrington, who asked his caddie for an update on the final hole. 'I was fully focused on what I was doing." Rory McIlroy (Image: ©INPHO/Ben Brady) The Dubliner didn't even realise that McIlroy was in attendance cheering him on. 'I didn't see him out there. Was he out there?' Harrington said. 'I had the head down all day. I never saw anybody. I had no idea.' Not only did Harrington take home a cheque for more than €600,000 and win his second successive senior major, the two time Open Champion joined an elite class of golfers to have won both The Open and Senior Open. Gary Player, Bob Charles, Tom Watson and Darren Clarke had all achieved the feat, with Harrington now the fifth member of the illustrious group. 'I'm thrilled to have won but very satisfied that I've won a Senior Open with my two Opens,' Harrington said. 'The fact that only five people have ever done it is quite special. I'm quite proud that I've managed to survive this long in the game." 'I think they are the sort of things that you realise over the next couple of days, the significance of it. I'm thrilled, euphoric, that I've gotten it done. 'There are some great names on the trophy. I was watching it coming out last night. I was looking up inside at the board that has all the winners. It's a deep sense of satisfaction. I'm kind of on a high of winning, but then there will be that deep sense of satisfaction knowing that you've done both. 'And especially you come to this stage, there's only a certain window. You know, you can win later on as a senior but the window, they say, sort of up to about 55, 56, so you want to get it done. 'And having had a couple of second places, I didn't want to leave it too long. It would start becoming a problem if you don't win it too soon, and I'm glad I got mine.'
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Owen Doyle: Jac Morgan's clear out of Carlo Tizzano was not obvious foul play
'In victory, I deserve it; in defeat I need it.' Winston Churchill was famously talking about champagne. Even a setback would not discourage him from enjoying one of his favourite tipples. But somehow I doubt if Joe Schmidt was popping corks after the narrow, controversial 80th-minute defeat to the Lions at a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground. There aren't enough superlatives to describe a truly epic rugby match . It's a shame it ended with a question mark about Jac Morgan's collision with Carlo Tizzano – who made an unnecessary meal of it – just moments before Hugo Keenan crossed for the winning try. I know well how detailed Schmidt is in his analysis of referees, often seeming to know more about them than they know about themselves. So he will have been aware that Andrea Piardi makes a good effort to referee the breakdown, unlike quite a few of his peers. Nevertheless, Schmidt is livid that the referee allowed Keenan's try to stand. Pundits in the north agree with the decision, down south unsurprisingly it's the polar opposite. I'd remind the latter, and some coaches too, of their shock and horror when red cards were correctly issued for foul play which the same pundits considered to be just part of the game. You can't have it both ways. READ MORE Another look at the cleanout. Again, perfectly good. — Tight Five Rugby (@TightFive_Rugby) Under immense pressure from the Wallabies to do so, Piardi checked it on screen and his conclusion was that there was no foul play. To say that this is hotly disputed would be the understatement of the year. Andy Farrell sees a brilliant clear out, Schmidt sees dangerous play – opposing opinions which are hardly surprising. Whichever way he called it, the referee would have had the guns of half the world trained on him. The core of the matter, for me, is that Morgan did not target Tizzano's neck. They did arrive at more or less the same time, both travelling at speed. The collision was inevitable, but not clear and obvious foul play. Arguments that Morgan was off his feet don't hold water either, it has unwisely become par for the course to allow players to arrive like human torpedoes to remove opponents. It all points to a far bigger problem than this one single decision. The problem is the distinct disparity in the way the breakdown is refereed. Some officials do attempt to sort out side-entry and sealing off, while others are happy to let most everything go. That disparity is where the issue lies. At the start of the tour this column pleaded that matches would be refereed consistently and correctly in this area. It's a pity that hasn't happened. Harry Wilson of the Wallabies speaks to referee Andrea Piardi. Photograph: Morgan Hancock/Getty The relevant laws need to be reinforced, not overridden by a series of protocols which are given precedence. It's not too late to pull it back to what was intended, even though at this stage it would require a decree from World Rugby to achieve it. It would also need the agreement of all competition owners which would not be automatic. The loose, laissez-faire officiating approach finds favour in some quarters. Schmidt will also analyse some defensive sealing off of the ball by the Lions, a couple appeared to be missed by Piardi. Side-entry was also penalised, with several calls on the money. However, half-time approached with advantage being played to Australia for a knock-on, just as they were in the process of winning a ruck. Despite Jamison Gibson-Park and Tom Curry coming around the side, interfering with Australian possession, the ref blew for the knock-on and everybody headed to the dressingrooms. The side-entry, which was the greater offence, should have been sanctioned with a penalty. Then we would have seen a kick at goal, or an attacking Wallaby lineout. Both options were taken away by calling half-time. There has been lots of chat about Dan Sheehan's try, that he had illegally jumped over the defensive tackle attempt. Actually, it was perfectly okay, with Sheehan quite entitled to dive for the line, even if it did take him over defending players. Dan Sheehan of the British & Irish Lions goes over to score his team's first try. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Overall, Piardi did well enough, but he was lenient in dealing with a nasty, cynical shoulder-hit into the back of Tadhg Furlong from Will Skelton which ignited a fracas. The game can do without this sort of stuff and 10 minutes in the bin might have given Skelton pause for thought. Some rugby fans might have heard recently about Run It Straight (Runit). It's a new fad (I would not call it a sport), but the first thing to say is that this newbie has nothing to do with rugby union – in fact Runit should be banned. This is what it's about. Only two players are involved in each contest, on a small pitch about 20 metres by 4. Alternatively, one is the ball carrier, the other the so-called tackler. They then charge at each other, the objective being to hit so hard that one player cannot continue. Unsurprisingly, a player is often knocked senseless, and one young man has died. If both are still standing after a series of charges, then 'victory belongs to the one who dominates the collisions.' It is sickening – insanity gone berserk. With what we know about brain injury, dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy it's staggering that anybody plays it. But, as we know, money talks, with $200,000 for a recent championship winner. Leading up to this second Test, both camps spoke of the massive importance of winning the collision battles, which, ultimately, would win the war. It's the same language as Runit, with the crucial difference that rugby requires a proper tackle – not that it always gets it. Apart from that difference, rugby often sees a ball carrier deliberately seeking out a heavy collision. It has inevitably seeped down into the amateur game, including schools. It's not too hard to guess where Runit might have come up with their idea.
Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
The Breakdown: Lions bench impact hits Wallabies where it hurts with last-gasp heroics
Analysing the key moments in the Lions' dramatic late victory over Australia in Melbourne As Tom Wright ran clear to finish a stunning Australian try on the half-hour mark, the full-back's team-mate Tate McDermott visibly urged him to dot the ball down closer to the posts. Wright didn't take any chances with the finish, but there is no doubt that he could have made the angle for the conversion easier. As it was, Tom Lynagh pulled the kick just wide of the posts, and while the Wallabies still led 23-5, you immediately felt that those two missed points could prove costly, and so it proved given the final three-point margin.
