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Clean bill of health Lions full fit for Australia tour, says Henry
Updated: Thursday May 31, 2001 12:54 PM
ALDERSHOT, England (Reuters) -- British and Irish Lions coach Graham Henry declared his squad fully fit Thursday, 24 hours before it departs to Australia. The New Zealand-born coach had a brief scare in morning training, the last session in England, as captain Martin Johnson and England flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson played a limited role. Bath centre Mike Catt was another absentee and Gloucester prop Phil Vickery limped back to team headquarters after turning his ankle. But Henry dismissed all the injuries as minor knocks and said every member of the touring party would be fit for the three test battle against the world champion in June and July. "Martin Johnson has a bit of a sore of neck this morning and was only able to join in some parts of training. The injury is not serious," Henry said. "Jonny Wilkinson finished training early today because he felt a twinge in his groin. Jonny's had the injury for some time but it's an occupational hazard if you kick so much. "Mike Catt didn't train again today but I'm sure he will be alright and Dai Young took part in some training after injuring his calf. "The only slight worry is Phil Vickery. He went over on his ankle and it's a bit puffed up but there's nothing serious there." Henry was particularly pleased with the speedy recovery of back row forward Lawrence Dallaglio, who appears to have overcome a knee ligament injury. "We are delighted about the progress Lawrence has made. His recovery is far beyond anything people thought he would achieve," Henry said. "I'm sure he will be playing soon and he'll play a big role in Australia. "I'm not one 100 percent sure when he can start contact training but we are just thankful for his progress. He's definitely joining us on the tour." Extra advantage Henry says his New Zealand heritage will give the Lions an extra advantage. Henry, who coached the Auckland Blues to successive Super 12 championship titles in the 90s, believes his experiences of the Southern Hemisphere game will hand the tourists the edge. The first man from outside the British Isles to coach the Lions said Thursday: "I have a far superior knowledge on the background of players in Australia. "I know where they come from, what their mental attitude is and how they have been developed. "I'm sure other northern hemisphere coaches, who have done their homework on Australia, know how the world champions play. "But when you live across the ditch in New Zealand and visit the country regularly you are going to have a good knowledge of their game." Henry, who watched his squad tackle a full contact session, described his morning training session as "flat" and called on the squad to improve before the start of the test series. "We've had a huge week and I didn't think that we were as good as we should have been," said of the final day's work before the squad's Friday departure. "I think we were a bit flat. We weren't sharp and I think the squad is thinking too much about their families and the plane trip to Australia tomorrow. "If we are going to win the test series then we are going to have to improve as individuals and collectively in order to play to our potential. "If victory is going to be a reality then improvement is a requirement and that includes the coach."
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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