Injury threatens O'Kelly's tour
Malcolm O’Kelly’s participation in the 2005 Lions tour was today hinging on the opinion of a New Zealand specialist after he suffered a lower abdominal injury in training.
The Irish lock, who strained his abdominal muscle in Cardiff before the squad’s departure for New Zealand and missed the 25-25 draw with Argentina, had only just returned to full training when he suffered similar symptoms during yesterday’s session.
O’Kelly was immediately withdrawn from the bench for Saturday’s tour opener against Bay of Plenty as a “precautionary measure”.
But Lions doctor James Robson explained today that the complex nature of the new injury could have uncovered a hidden problem and O’Kelly was to spend his day off visiting a specialist.
“At the moment he could be described as having a lower abdominal oblique groin injury. It is a peculiar injury for which I have actually been on the phone and consulted with colleagues back home and in Australia,” said Robson.
“We are going to see one of our New Zealand colleagues this afternoon and after that we will have more information about Mal’s injury.
“I think we have unmasked something that might have been going on for a little while and might have contributed to the injury we were presented with a week ago.
“We may be able to solve it today, it might be a problem for a week or it might end his tour.
“That is the same scenario every time someone knocks on my door. Every injury that occurs every day is potentially tour threatening because you are talking about highly tuned athletes and Malcolm is no different to that.
“I don’t have a huge cause for concern at this present time but further consultation might change that.
"Players who pick up injuries are potentially off-tour until proven otherwise.”
Robson did have positive news about Scottish loose-forward Simon Taylor, who he expects to make a full recovery from his hamstring injury and be available for selection “shortly”.
Taylor’s continued involvement in the tour owes much to advances in medical science and the fact that Robson has the luxury of a five-strong back-up team, including another doctor and four physios.
In Australia four years ago, Robson was worked to a standstill on his own. But just as Clive Woodward’s playing squad needs strength in depth, so does the medical team.
“Simon has a hamstring injury and in days gone by that may have ruled him out of the tour,” said Robson.
“But he has done twice-daily rehab conditioning work with Stuart Barton, one of our physios, and he is now at the point where he is opening up to do some sprint work. Simon has worked extremely hard and will be available for selection shortly.
“We have changed the way we recondition people with hamstring injuries. Nature has not changed, but we can give her a helping hand with techniques and intensive physio.
“We have also got the leeway of having more cover and the coaches can give us more time if they feel they are able to do so. It is a godsend for us.
“Thirty-eight (of the 43 players on tour) have so far had treatment from the medical team. We have six in the medical team and we are averaging 30 hands-on treatments a day.
“We are providing intensive rehab for three players on a one-to-one basis each day.
“We are heavily involved in pre-hab. You will be aware of the recent injury audit which says 40% of injuries occur in training.
“We have one doctor and one physio at each training session as a minimum and we have to accompany players to scans. We have had one MRI scan, two ultrasound scans and one plain X-ray. We have had one out-patient appointment and five podiatry consultations.
“Already, you can see why I now have five additional colleagues.”
But despite all that, Robson insists the 2005 Lions are substantially fitter and better prepared than they were in Australia four years ago.
“Those numbers do not worry me at all. A lot of the guys have chronic bad backs, chronic hip problems. We are dealing with things that are ongoing problems,” he said.
“It does not mean the tour party is falling apart. In actual fact, the tour party is in exceptional health.
“It is exceptional to find a player who does not have one niggle or another. And we have seven, if my calculations are correct, who have no niggles at all.”
