Few players are as loved across the entire rugby world as Sam Warburton.
From Dublin to Dunedin, the former British & Irish Lions skipper earned respect the hard way; by his granite performances on the pitch and his personable demeanour off it.
One of his oldest foes, former England skipper Lewis Moody was quick to join the tributes following the news that the Welshman had been forced to retire prematurely through injury:
“Having played the first half of my international career against my old pal Martyn Williams, when Sam burst on the scene in 2010 he presented an entirely different challenge for us and me in particular,” explained Moody.
“Powerful over the ball and physical in contact, what really struck me about him was his incredible workrate and engine. He was absolutely everywhere and caused us a lot of issues through his sheer relentlessness and error-free consistency.”
“When we both entered the 2011 World Cup as our respective national captains, I was interested to see how he’d go. It was clear that he had serious leadership credentials but those based upon example and deed, rather than bluff and bluster. He’d put his head where others fear to put their feet and there’s a lot to be said for that type of leadership,” admired Moody.
“Of course, he was desperately unlucky to be sent off in the semi-final; six months before or six months after that would have been a ‘wonderful tackle’ or a penalty at worst, depending on where in the timeline of law changes you were. In fairness, many good judges believed Wales were the best side in that tournament and perhaps had he not been carded, the Celtic fortunes may have been different.
“What you can say is under his leadership, both Wales and the Lions thrived. Wales’ record under his captaincy is utterly outstanding, littered with honours; the Lions – well they’re unbeaten in two series under Sam’s leadership and I have absolutely no doubt he’d have been wearing the armband for a record third time in South Africa had he remained fit,” noted the former Tigers flanker.
“Sam’s performances in New Zealand should seal the debate over his ability. Moving from openside to blindside isn’t as straight forward as some think, and if anyone ever re-watches the tape of his match-winning performance in the second Test all you will hear is referee Jerome Garces bellowing “Roll away Six! Hands off Six!” as he became the thorn in the All Blacks side that, with the obvious red card, turned the Lions’ fortunes. He was monumental in that game, absolutely outstanding and don’t forget he was up against a trio of Sam Cane, Jerome Kaino and Kieran Read, none of whom are too shabby!
“It’s devastating for Warburton and rugby in general, but surely this is yet another marker of how physical the game has become and how short a player’s career can be? The game is brutal now; it’s not so much collisions as multiple pile ups these days, and we need to manage this.
“I also feel Sam, like myself, struggled to keep weight and muscle mass on his frame. When you’re naturally always fighting to keep up to a playing weight of say 100-110kgs, operations set you back months in terms of muscle loss, and the recovery road is brutal to get that mass back on that’s so essential for the modern collisions.
“What struck me about Sam was enjoyment was everything for him and that really resonated with me as I was always the same. He wanted to love the sport, put in the quiet yet world class performances that teams cherish and fans adore, but in the final analysis, whilst deadly competitive, he played the game with a huge smile on his face, which says everything about him as a person.
“I well remember doing a show with him with BBC’s Claire Balding and off camera we chatted about the important things in life, family and so on, and how short a career can be. I thoroughly enjoyed our day and Sam’s company.
“Warburton is a humble person, modest to a fault and it’s such a shame we’ve lost such an iconic player, but let’s not be afraid to celebrate a great career. Players and people of his calibre are few and far between and I wish him well for the future and have no doubt he’ll succeed in anything he chooses to do.”
Lewis Moody MBE, a tearaway flanker, played 71 times for England and appeared in one Test for the British and Irish Lions. A rare England captain to win a Test in Australia in 2012, he was a key member of England’s World Cup winning side in 2003 and skippered England in the 2011 RWC. He will forever be remembered for winning the lineout that led to ‘that drop goal’.
by James While
James is a freelance journalist and the creator of Expert Witness, now in its tenth year on Planet Rugby, A qualified coach, he represented Headingley, Birmingham and Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton RFC’s as a back-row forward, gaining the dreaded title ‘utility forward’. He is also the Conference Producer of www.mipim.com, the world’s biggest real estate conference.