Johannesburg - Pat Lambie is happy he’s ticked all the boxes ahead of his expected return to the Springbok team this weekend.
The Sharks flyhalf is the favourite to take over the No 10 jersey from Elton Jantjies for the Rugby Championship match against Australia at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Lambie’s return to Test match rugby will come more than three months after he was knocked out by Ireland flank CJ Stander in the opening Test in Cape Town in June. But even though he’s played only a handful of minutes for the Sharks in the Currie Cup, the 51-Test star said he is up to the rigours of Test rugby.
“I’ve spent the last six weeks in gym, and I’ve done some good conditioning work and had a hit out with the Sharks so I’ve ticked all the boxes,” said Lambie.
“I’m happy to play a full game or for however long I’m needed.”
The 25-year-old explained just why it’s taken him so long to return to the game after what seemed like a routine concussion from a head knock.
“The thinking was the trauma and stress of the knock and concussion triggered a constant migraine, and I had that low grade migraine for the last three months,” he said.
“I woke up every morning with a headache, sore eyes, and I had no energy and didn’t feel up to much. But thankfully the doctors looked after me, and after seeing a few neurologists and taking a few courses of medicine I’ve come right.
“From about the age of 15, I did suffer three to four migraines each year and that factor may have played against me now, but I’m all better.”
Lambie said there was no greater fear or risk of him suffering the same fate should he take another, similar, knock again. “Thankfully everyone involved in getting me back to where I am today has cleared me and they’re happy for me to play again,” he said.
“There’s no risk I’ll be more susceptible to concussion than I was before.”
Bok coach Allister Coetzee said Lambie was fit and in the running to return to Test rugby this weekend. “It was always a matter of, ‘Pat, you let me know when you’re 100 percent fit, when you are cleared’.
“Pat’s the only one who’d know if he’s ready to play, if he’s confident enough. He’ll now be part of our plans going forward.”
Lambie is set to take over the No 10 jersey this weekend and there could also be a new scrumhalf, with Francois Hougaard in the mix to replace Faf de Klerk. Hougaard has played on the left wing in the last two Tests, but with Willie le Roux also back in the squad and covering fullback and wing, there’s every chance Coetzee will shift Hougaard to scrumhalf and possibly hand Le Roux a start on the wing.
It’ll also be interesting to see if Coetzee sticks with the same back-row that has done duty for a few Tests now – Warren Whiteley, Oupa Mohoje and Francois Louw – or mixes things up with the inclusion of Willem Alberts and Jaco Kriel. Coetzee did, after all, say there’d be consequences for continued poor performances and that there would be changes to the team for Saturday’s match.
Independent Media