Sam Warburton wants to return to action – Rugby News Update
Sam Warburton, the 23-year-old Cardiff Blues' and Wales' back-row is itching to get back on the field of play.
Warburton has not played competitive rugby since the final 2012 Six Nations Grand Slam match against France on March 17. He is going to Captain Wales against Australia, when the two countries kick-off a three-match test series at the Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane,
on June 9.
"I'd been playing straight through from August, when the summer Tests started, right through to the Six Nations and my body was crying out for a bit of a rest," he told
Press Association Sport.
He further added, "Now I've had a bit of a rest my body is crying out to play again - I'm getting withdrawal symptoms, so the sooner I get back the better."
The back-row has missed rugby for the last 11 weeks, and had to take a break from due to his shoulder injury. Wales will require him to be on top of his game if they are to beat the Wallabies on their soil for the first time since 1969. Wales is expecting
to unleash their pace from the back, and Warburton is going to be an essential part of that strategy.
Warburton will be a little under prepared, and he said, "Of course, I would rather have gone into an international match with a few games preparation under my belt, but I'm very happy going into the first Test this weekend."
However, he, along with 18 other players, left for Australia last week to acclimatise to the conditions under assistant coach Shaun Edwards. They would have had enough preparation, and Warburton will be fresh, having not played for a while.
Warburton made his Blues debut against Edinburgh in 2009, and his eye-catching displays along with great technical skills earned him his first Wales cap against United States of America at Chicago, on June 6, 2009. So far he has played 27 games for Wales,
starting 23 of those and coming on as a substitute 4 times.
He was made Captain of the team last year, and he was the youngest player ever to lead Wales into a World Cup.
Tags: