Iron man Thorn ready for break, may have one more year
WELLINGTON, July 10 (Reuters) - Battlescarred Brad Thorn is feeling the effects of 20 years of ferocious rugby but the Otago Highlanders' lock feels he has enough in the tank to put his body on the line for one more year.
After almost 30 months of non-stop rugby, Thorn looked every day of his 38 years, and perhaps more, following the Highlanders' frenetic 49-44 Super Rugby win over the Wellington Hurricanes last week. “My profile says I'm 38 but I'm feeling about 45 with some of the games we have had,” he told reporters after his team's third win of the season on Saturday.
Thorn's fatigue can be partially attributed to the fact he has not stopped playing since the end of the 2010 season.
In the intervening period, the lock has played in New Zealand, Japan and Ireland and helped the All Blacks to the World Cup and Leinster to the European club title.
The physical demands of crashing into hulking rugby players each week aside, the mental strain of the current season has weighed on the veteran of more than 100 Super Rugby games.
Thorn's recruitment, along with fellow World Cup winners Tony Woodcock and Ma'a Nonu, was seen as pivotal in providing the 'X-factor' the Highlanders needed to challenge for the Super Rugby title after two seasons of promise under coach Jamie Joseph.
Instead the team lost their first eight
After 30 months of non-stop rugby, Thorn looked every day of his 38 years, and perhaps more, following the Highlanders' frenetic 49-44 Super Rugby win over the Wellington Hurricanes
games of the season and were out of contention for the playoffs, which begins next week after the final round of games this weekend, by early May. “It's not easy getting up every week,” he said of the mental toll the season has taken.