Smith: Murray will bounce back for Lions again
Northampton Saints legend Tom Smith is sure Euan Murray will have another chance to win Lions Test jersey after his tour ended.
As feared, the Saints star is on his way home after discovering the ankle injury he suffered in the opening minutes against Southern Kings on Tuesday has ended his first British & Irish Lions tour.
The 28-year-old has been given six weeks to recover from the injury, ruling him out of the Test series with Ireland's John Hayes flying out to replace him.
Smith, who played in all three Tests in 1997 when the Lions beat South Africa 2-1, has great sympathy for Murray, but is adamant he can come back stronger. Smith said: "Euan will be disappointed, but he is a positive person.
"It is a shame for him, but he will be back in six weeks and he will be ready for the start of next season and life goes on.
"He is still quite young, so he will another chance for another trip.
"I have never been in that position. He will be very disappointed to get to the business end of the tour and then miss out, but such is life. There is not much you can do about it.
"Players don't like missing big games, but there probably isn't a player on a Lions tour who hasn't had some disappointment at some point, whether it is being injured or not being selected."
Murray's injury is still being treated and he may yet require an operation.
Lions head coach Ian McGeechan said: "Euan has damaged the structures around the ankle joint. He is subject to further assessment, treatment and specialist opinion but may require surgical repair."
Smith, though, felt the way the scrum was being refereed in South Africa had ruined his chances anyway.
"It wasn't looking good for Euan anyway," said Smith. "The tour hadn't panned out as he would have liked. On a Lions tour there are good games to play in and good ones to miss and Euan has just missed out on the ones you would probably want to be in.
"The way the scrums have been refereed hasn't helped Euan either. Euan is a very good scrummager, but the engagement has been very messy."
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Friday 10 February 2012
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