Rugby Betting: Lions not the only ones with thorns in their paws

British Lions / Ralph Ellis / 07 May 2009 / Leave a Comment

The news that Tom Shanklin may join Tomas O'Leary missing the Lions tour to South Africa doesn't necessarily mean that you should put your money on the hosts, says Ralph Ellis. After all, the Spring Boks have injury woes of their own to contend with.

It was just days after Ian McGeechan proudly announced his Lions squad to tour South Africa that Ireland scrum half Tomas O'Leary broke his ankle and the Munster star was ruled out almost as soon as he'd been ruled in. Now this morning comes more bad news for McGeechan and his sidekick Warren Gatland. Wales centre Tom Shanklin dislocated his shoulder playing for Cardiff against the Dragons last night.

It's tough luck on the 29-year-old who also had to pull out of the 2005 Lions tour because of a serious knee injury which at the time appeared might have ended his career. The early bulletins are that he could yet recover in time, but however easily surgeons and then physios can pop a shoulder joint in and out, it's a worrying development with the first game of the tour barely three weeks away.

But before you take that as the signal to pump even more money on to South Africa to win the Test series at [1.46], remember that injury news is a two-way street. And the Lions are not the only ones with a few thorns in their paws at the moment.

This morning's Daily Mirror carries a good interview by Alex Spink with Wales' record try scorer Shane Williams, but the sting is in the tail of the piece because the Springboks have got problems. Full back Conrad Jantjes has been ruled out with a broken leg, as has Bath's World Cup winning fly-half Butch James who is suffering from cruciate ligament damage. There's more, because Francois Steyn will not play for two months due to a knee injury and centre Jean de Villiers is doubtful for the first Test.

The last Lions tour went badly wrong because the players didn't have enough time to buy into Sir Clive Woodward's ethos of a huge backroom staff of specialist coaches and sports scientists and morale for the trip was never right. McGeechan and his number two Gatland come from different stock and you suspect will make a far better fist of moulding together a group of players from four different nations.

At the very least they could be capable of winning one of the Tests, and if you're not brave enough to lay South Africa for the series at [1.46] then think about laying the 3-0 home winning margin at [2.8]. That's a very short price for a whitewash and for all their initial niggling injury worries, the Springboks have more problems.

Incidentally Welsh wizard Williams, who only just made the 37 strong touring party after a fairly miserable back end to his season, reckons he's ready to prove he still has plenty to offer. He says: "The Six Nations didn't go as well as I wanted, but I was injured in the first game and probably only 85 per cent fit for the rest of the championship which was reflected in the way I played. I'm fully fit now, I've got plenty left in the tank, and I'm ready to prove it."

Five things you might not know about Tom Shanklin

1. Born in Harrow in Middlesex, his full name is Tomos George L

2. He joined Saracens and went on a pre-season week of endurance work with the Royal Marines and Shanklin was named as the worst trainer. A few weeks later he was picked for his debut and never looked back

3. His dad Jim won four caps for Wales between 1970 and 1974 - and flew the 18,000 mile round trip to Japan to watch Tom's debut for Wales in. Jim's debut was also against Japan

4. He turned down an invitation from Clive Woodward to play for England when he was assembling the squad that subsequently won the 2003 World Cup

5. At the time he won his 50th Wales cap in February 2008 he was only the 20th player to reach that landmark