It won’t have been lost on Warren Gatland and the Lions management, but Aussie back James O’Connor may struggle to contain strong runners this summer.
By Declan Whooley
The talented play-maker is one of the Aussies most gifted attacking threats, but there are question marks over his defensive capabilities and this clip of him getting steamrolled at the weekend will give the Lions plenty of food for thought.
O’Connor was injured during a ruck as the Melbourne Reds lost to the Blues at Eden Park at the weekend, but should be fine to face the Lions. What compounded the injury was getting flung to the ground by a rampaging Rene Ranger, just four minutes after getting medical treatment.
He will miss a few weeks with a collarbone injury and his replacement Angus Robbers dislocated his shoulder just eight minutes after coming on for O’Connor.
The 22 year-old will be a key man for Robbie Deans’ side, but he may want to avoid the likes of Sean O’Brien and Cian Healy when they get up ahead of steam during the Test Series.
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