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Springboks flyhalf Pat Lambie to retire - reports


Pat Lambie in action for Springboks. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
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Springboks flyhalf Pat Lambie could be about to announce his shock retirement, according to reports in France.

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The Racing 92 player hasn’t played since injuring himself in the Champions Cup final defeat to Leinster last May, when he suffered a knee injury, however that’s not the reason for hanging up his boots.

Reports in Midi Olympique suggest the after-effects of concussion is the reason for the 28-year-old retiring.

He was expected to be out for an elongated period after sustaining an ACL injury in May, but speaking exclusively to RugbyPass at the time Lambie was plotting his return back, when asked whether his season was over.

“It looks like it yes, like I said the diagnosis isn’t great, I have to wait and see after the MRI scans on Monday and we’ll take it from there, but by the sounds of things I won’t be playing for a month or for a few months. The speculation is that I have done my ACL ligament, that is six to nine months I guess.”

“It is a long road of recovery, but it is not the end, I will be back, exactly when I am not sure.”

Continue reading below…
Watch: Pat Lambie speaks to RugbyPass about his injury after Champions Cup final

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His last appearance for South Africa was a 27-13 defeat at Cardiff in November 2016, but his first concussion happened earlier that year in a June test when he collided with Ireland flanker CJ Stander, a challenge which earned the South African-born backrow a red card.

The former Sharks player also missed a chunk of the Super Rugby season following a head blow against the Kings in May 2017.

Lambie also sustained a fractured eye socket playing for Racing 92 in their Top 14 match with Oyonnax in January 2018, but his club said at the time he’d not suffered concussion from it.

He remained eligible for the Springboks as an overseas-based player because he meets the established 30-cap minimum threshold and the news will be a big blow to head coach Rassie Erasmus ahead of the World Cup later this year. Lambie would have most certainly have been vying for the 10 jersey with Handre Pollard and Elton Jantjies, while his versatility meant he could also operate at full-back.

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Phantom 38 minutes ago
Nations Championship: 'The data shows the north has finally caught up with the south'

Fact: the gap between the North and the South has narrowed considerably - that I get. However, determining that only selecting only Home grown players or playing in the home country is is the optimal strategy is a bit of a toss up and highly reliant on the economies of the home union. I do understand that England and to a lesser degree Ireland selects home based only. The top 14 is a massive threat to their domestic product. France would probably not be affected (the money is at home). Fiji, Argentina, Samoa, Italy and you could even argue Scotland have only benefitted from this. Their players either go overseas to learn at higher levels (Fiji, Samoa, Argentina) or players coming into their leagues to strengthen the home product and their National teams (Scotland, Italy, Japan).

South Africa used to limit its selection to the home based players, but the reality of a weak currency vs what players could earn oversees meant that you lost access to your best players at some stage of their careers, with very few exceptions. Kolbe left SA as he was considered too small for International Rugby (yes coaches/selectors view), but ironically in France he forced selectors to notice his endeavors and select him. He is only reaching 50 caps now despite being north of 30 - granted rotation and the odd injury also played a role, but for the most part it is having debuted or becoming a regular so late.



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