Johnson – you felt his presence the entire game.
British & Irish Lions hopeful Ben Curry has suffered a freak injury that could crush his Australia 2025 ambitions – just days before Andy Farrell names his squad.
The Sale Sharks back-row missed his club’s 25-7 win over Saracens this weekend after getting a
chunk of metal lodged in his leg – yes, really.
With Sale already out of the Champions Cup, it was Curry’s final shot to impress ahead of the May 8 Lions squad announcement.
“It’s a bit of a scratch and sniff injury,” joked Sharks boss Alex Sanderson. “It’s a weird one – I’ve not heard of it before.”
According to Sanderson, the bizarre issue stems from an old operation. The metal is irritating the muscle, but thankfully, nothing has torn.
“There’s a bit of metal in his leg, which is irritating the muscle,” he added. “It’s around the site of an old operation where he had stitches.”
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While the risk of a full-blown tear is low, the England international is in visible discomfort.
“There’s little chance of him tearing the muscle, but it’s uncomfortable for him.”
Sanderson, though, remains optimistic that Curry could be back in action soon – even if it’s too late for a final audition in front of the Lions selectors.
“He’s running around, so hopefully it will have sorted itself out in another week. We’ve given him as long as we could, but he won’t make this game.”
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Ireland legend Paul O'Connell names his top 5 rugby players of all time
Now turning his attention to coaching, O’Connell recently looked back on his bruising career to reveal the five toughest opponents he ever faced – and some of the names will send chills down any forward’s spine.
? Victor Matfield – “He could destroy your lineout”
Position: Lock
Country: South Africa
Caps: 127
Matfield wasn’t just a brilliant second-row – he was a lineout surgeon. Awarded Man of the Match in the 2007 Rugby World Cup final, the Springbok was renowned for his athleticism, vision, and tactical nous.
“I tried not to fear any opponent,” O’Connell said. “But any international second-row will tell you that Matfield had the ability to destroy your lineout. He very rarely made any mistakes.”
? Jonny Wilkinson – “He could beat better teams on his own”
Position: Fly-half
Country: England
Caps: 91
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Who else? Wilkinson’s iconic right-footed drop-goal sealed England’s 2003 World Cup win and cemented his status as one of the sport’s true greats. With 1,246 points to his name, only Dan Carter sits above him in Test rugby’s scoring charts.
“His drop goals, penalties, territorial kicking – it was so hard to get a foothold in the game. He could punish you from anywhere.”
? Martin Johnson – “He had a presence”
Position: Lock
Country: England
Caps: 83
A natural-born leader. Johnson captained the Lions to glory in 1997 and lifted the Webb Ellis Cup in 2003. You didn’t just play against
“He was absolutely someone to be admired.”
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? Jerry Collins – “He’d just destroy people”
Position: Flanker
Country: New Zealand
Caps: 48
No fluff here – O’Connell kept it short and brutal.
“He’d just destroy people!”
And honestly, that’s all that needed to be said about the late, great All Black enforcer.
? Bakkies Botha – The enforcer
Position: Lock
Country: South Africa
Caps: 85
A walking wrecking ball, Botha helped power the Springboks to World Cup glory in 2007 and then dominated Europe with Toulon, winning three Champions Cups.
