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Springboks flyhalf Pat Lambie to retire - reports
By Nathaniel Cope
Springboks flyhalf Pat Lambie could be about to announce his shock retirement, according to reports in France.
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.”
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Watch: Pat Lambie speaks to RugbyPass about his injury after Champions Cup final
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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Agreed. As a Saffa I have much respect for the ABs. I also have to say given any option I would ONLY prefer to lose to ABs. To lose to England is probably the most embarrassing think to happen to either of us.
There was a time when both of us lost to England and we both hated it. Thankfully those days are behind us. Kudos to you guys, kudos to ABs. But dear old BS seems to hate us Boks. No idea why.
Go to commentsI got the sense that holding him to it was kickback from SB and the rfu smarting at being jilted quite so soon, so unexpectedly and so publicly.
Seem to remember that they spoke to Gustard before appointing Joe and you really have to think he would have come in at a higher level?
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