Lions: Greening talks of his tour despair
Phil Greening today finally abandoned all hope of pulling on a Lions jersey in Australia.
The Wasps and England hooker has undergone intensive rehabilitation treatment since suffering a partial medial knee ligament tear during a Lions training session in Perth two weeks ago.
Although officially ruled out of the 10-match trip last weekend, Greening has remained Down Under and linked up with medical staff at Sydney City Roosters Rugby League Club.
His initial target had been to regain full fitness before the tour finishes next month, possibly returning as squad cover should any current Lions hookers - Keith Wood, Robin McBryde or Gordon Bulloch - suffer an injury.
But it proved too ambitious a target for the 25-year-old, who has now set his sights on starting next season with Wasps and gaining an England place when they tackle autumn opponents Ireland, Australia, Romania and South Africa.
‘‘I’ve had specific work done on the ligaments, including a swinging weight test. Although the knee felt fine, the minute it came under pressure from the weight, it gave way,’’ Greening said.
‘‘I was told to consider carefully whether it was worth the risk trying to play on tour.
‘‘It is a partial medial ligament tear, and if that goes completely, then the cruciate ligament goes with it and your knee is a mess.
‘‘I have decided to tell Donal Lenihan (Lions manager) that I am definitely off the tour. I need another six to eight weeks before I can start playing again,’’ he added.
‘‘I thought about it long and hard, and even considered whether it was worth playing for 10 minutes to try and get the Lions jersey.
‘‘But I am only 25, and I looked at someone like Will Greenwood, who was injured on the last Lions tour, and he’s proved that it is possible to have another go.’’
Greening is currently in Sydney, enjoying his temporary new role as a celebrity tour guide with Gullivers Travel, alongside Wasps team manager Malcolm Sinclair.
Yet unlike the Lions’ three other major tour casualties - Simon Taylor, Mike Catt and Dan Luger - he never featured on match day, having suffered his injury barely 24 hours before the opening game against Western Australia in Perth.
‘‘My targets now are to make the start of the new season with Wasps, play in the Six Nations Grand Slam game for England against Ireland, then have a go at the Australians at Twickenham in the autumn,’’ he added.
By then, he should have long since regained full fitness and started to put his desperate Lions disappointment behind him.
