Tyrone Green fired up and raring to go
Creator: Daniel Pockett | Credit: Getty Images
Don't be fooled by the adage that out of sight is out of mind. Tyrone Green may not be tearing up the fields of the UK, but he's resolved to come out firing when he makes it back for Harlequins in the new season in several months' time.
Last October, the dynamic fullback damaged his right knee in catastrophic fashion when he wrecked three of his four ligaments. Full-blown surgery soon followed and he was forced onto the sidelines for what has proved to be a long, frustrating absence. He watches matches reluctantly and finds them difficult to enjoy, not least because he knows he can be out there making a difference. “I'm a better player than spectator,” he admits. Adding to his despair is the break in his rhythm. When he arrived in England from the Lions in 2020, he was an instant hit, carving up defences from fullback and causing fans to swoon with his confidence under the high ball. Quins built much of their attack around his high-energy incursions. A season on, and he celebrated with the Premiership trophy, Harlequins' first championship in nine years.
Speaking from his home in Bagshot, an hour south-west of London, Green said the plan was to be back by mid-April. As the match against Saracens loomed, he was excited, but had to apply the brakes when his knee swelled up. Quins then lost several games, their hopes of a top-four finish dashed. Their mid-table position allowed Green more time to get his recovery spot-on, and he now enthuses about using the long pre-season to return to full fitness with a knee that is as good as new. He's enthusiastic and, more importantly, his knee feels good and strong. “It's the longest injury I've ever had to endure,” he explained, adding that even at the age of 25, this ranked only second among his major operations. As a schoolboy, he blew out his anterior cruciate ligament. “Since we dropped out of the top four, I've been preparing mentally for next season. Having been out for so long, I feel refreshed . . . it's almost entirely a new start. I'm ready to go for the new season.” He's been helped by the support of Harlequins, who have nursed him along and involved him with the team. It's only fuelled his eagerness to get back on the pitch, which ought to culminate with the start of the season with the Premiership Rugby Cup beginning in September. He's watched England's transition to a new coach with interest, but leans towards France, New Zealand and South Africa as his World Cup picks.
With a year-old baby boy to care for, Green only occasionally watches the URC, chiefly to see how his old Jeppe High pals Wandisile Simelane and Hacjivah Dayimani are doing. He's tight with Vince Tshituka, too, his ex-Lions teammate now pounding the turf of Durban. If the former SA Schools and SA under-20 player's short-term ambition is to get back into the colourful Harlequins shirt, his longer-term aim remains as it always was: to play for the Springboks. “I guess my injury has pushed the dream back a bit, but I'm hoping for the next season or two,” he says confidently. “For the moment, I just want to play good rugby.” Having worked this hard, he's proven his fighting spirit. And well earned a second crack at the big time.