Northern Edition
Select Edition
Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France
37 - 35
FT
International

Mike Blair announces retirement from international rugby - OTD

By PA
Lions player Mike Blair looks on during British and Irish Lions training at Bishops School on June 15, 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Former Scotland captain Mike Blair announced his retirement from international rugby on this day in 2013.

ADVERTISEMENT

Blair made the decision in order to focus on life in France, where he was playing for Brive, while also allowing Scotland to uncover fresh options at scrum-half in time for the 2015 World Cup.

Stepping down from the world stage as a 31-year-old, he had made 85 appearances for the team and led the side 14 times.

Video Spacer

Joe Simmonds on potential England selection

Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
      Video Spacer

      Joe Simmonds on potential England selection

      “I’m in the very fortunate position of being able to decide myself when my international career ends. For me, that time is now,” said Blair, who retired despite remaining a regular starter.

      “The fact that I still feel attuned to playing at international level has made the decision harder, but it’s not been reached lightly and I’m very confident that it’s the right decision.”

      The 2009 British and Irish Lions tourist spent only one season at Brive and after two years with Newcastle, he joined Glasgow before his playing career ended in 2016.

      ADVERTISEMENT
      Play Video

      South Africa vs Black Ferns XV | Women's International | Full Match Replay

      Play Video

      Namibia vs United Arab Emirates | Asia/Africa Rugby World Cup Play-off | Full Match Replay

      Play Video

      Lions Share | Episode 5

      Play Video

      Classic Wallabies vs British & Irish Legends | First Match | Full Match Replay

      Play Video

      Did the Lions loosies get away with murder? And revisiting the Springboks lift | Whistle Watch

      Play Video

      The First Test, Visiting The Great Barrier Reef & Poetry with Pierre | Ep 6: The Ultimate Test

      Play Video

      KOKO Show | July 22nd | Full Throttle with Brisbane Test Review and Melbourne Preview

      Play Video

      New Zealand v South Africa | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

      Trending on RugbyPass

      1

      The Gregan verdict on Itoje's behaviour, comparing him to Bok great

      2
      2

      Trio return for final Lions Test but ‘devastated’ Ireland star misses out

      1
      3

      Lions tour Aussie takes: The Suaalii decision and the Finn Russell factor

      3
      4

      The feat Owen Farrell achieved with Lions series that no man has in pro era

      13
      5

      'I had a chat with Andy and I was gutted': Huw Jones on 'mental week'

      6

      Wallabies duo rally around underfire Carlo Tizzano

      33
      7

      What Jac Morgan said moments after clear-out will only anger Wallabies fans

      9
      8

      Wallabies call in new coach just 12 hours after Lions series heartbreak

      2

      Comments

      0 Comments
      Be the first to comment...

      Join free and tell us what you really think!

      Sign up for free
      ADVERTISEMENT

      Latest Long Reads

      LONG READ

      'The Wallabies only have themselves to blame': How the Lions sunk Australia in Melbourne

      The focus on a refereeing decision masks errors in Joe Schmidt's selections and tactics which cost Australia the Lions series.

      84
      LONG READ

      ‘There are coaches who make you believe in yourself more than ever. Steve is one of those’

      Steve Tandy's in-tray as Wales' head coach is overflowing, but his authenticity should serve his country well.

      LONG READ

      Lessons the Wallabies must heed to turn Lions heartbreak into future success

      The manner of their Second Test defeat by the Lions was shattering but exposed some of Australia's own weaknesses.

      28

      Comments on RugbyPass

      d
      dw 13 minutes ago
      'The Wallabies only have themselves to blame': How the Lions sunk Australia in Melbourne

      I can’t argue about JAS. He needs to be in the back 3. If however Joe is determined to keep him at 13 then hopefully that horrendous penalty he gave away taught him to never do that again in this life time?? ‘Must enter on our side….not theirs…-

      73 Go to comments
      N
      NB 13 minutes ago
      'The Wallabies only have themselves to blame': How the Lions sunk Australia in Melbourne

      And presumably he could have lasted for at least 41 minutes in the first Test too G!


      Glad to hear you’re not ‘Zulu’ even if they are your countrymen!

      73 Go to comments
      G
      GrahamVF 14 minutes ago
      'The Wallabies only have themselves to blame': How the Lions sunk Australia in Melbourne

      The alternative is to rule that the attempted tackle was illegal in that it was targeted at the legs below the knees so therefore penalty try.

      73 Go to comments
      d
      dw 14 minutes ago
      'The Wallabies only have themselves to blame': How the Lions sunk Australia in Melbourne

      He didn’t make any busts but every one of his carries seemed to make more impact than any of last week’s carries!!! Bobby v carrying was an another step up again. I think both Will and Bobby’s presence alone made a huge difference. I saw skelton make a few heavy tackles and annoy the Lions around the ruck too.

      73 Go to comments
      E
      Evans 14 minutes ago
      The Gregan verdict on Itoje's behaviour, comparing him to Bok great

      Itoji is the captain & entitled to speak to the ref, just like the Aussi captain! However, to watch the Aussie players harang the ref, like soccer players, every time the Lions scored is plumbing the depth!

      1 Go to comments
      N
      NB 15 minutes ago
      'The Wallabies only have themselves to blame': How the Lions sunk Australia in Melbourne

      Skelton adds something different which you need at this level. He’s proved he’s good enough and I think he sould be an auto first choice, but for most of the time Joe has preferred Jeremy Williams. Nick Frost wasn’t even first choice when he started either! Angus Bell is now a bench player - why? Tight five selection has been really sketchy!

      73 Go to comments
      d
      dw 17 minutes ago
      'The Wallabies only have themselves to blame': How the Lions sunk Australia in Melbourne

      Can A Ross play thp? With Allalatoa out I am not sure how many options we have…

      73 Go to comments
      N
      NB 19 minutes ago
      'The Wallabies only have themselves to blame': How the Lions sunk Australia in Melbourne

      I don’t know why it’s taken him so long to warm to Skelton as a first choice DW.

      73 Go to comments
      N
      NB 21 minutes ago
      'The Wallabies only have themselves to blame': How the Lions sunk Australia in Melbourne

      Yes it is hard to understand the reluctance to pick some players and the preference for others. I’d rather have Uru or Hooper at 6 in a Skelton-based pack, instead of Harry Wilson.


      LSL has been one of the few forwards to really get stuck into the Lions physically in each of his three performances but doesn’t even get a mention.


      I like what I’ve seen from Lynagh so far and I hope they persist with him.

      73 Go to comments
      D
      DJ 28 minutes ago
      Maro Itoje responds to calls for change to Lions tradition

      Yeah, I can just imagine a lil boy playing his first of Rugby & telling his Dad, when I grow up I want to play for the British & Irish Lions be the kid be in SA, Aus, Arg, NZ, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, France…

      1 Go to comments
      N
      NB 28 minutes ago
      'The Wallabies only have themselves to blame': How the Lions sunk Australia in Melbourne

      Yes selection has been weak on this tour - and far too stubborn Fran. Even accepting the necessity of Will Skelton seems to have ben problematic!

      73 Go to comments
      G
      GrahamVF 29 minutes ago
      'The Wallabies only have themselves to blame': How the Lions sunk Australia in Melbourne

      Absolutely. So if the dive is in the act of scoring a try it is permitted but not when it is not a try scoring action but simply to avoid a tackle.

      73 Go to comments
      N
      NB 30 minutes ago
      'The Wallabies only have themselves to blame': How the Lions sunk Australia in Melbourne

      Thanks for ref’s viewpoint Carlos. There are stories over here of young refs being chased off the pitch by angry parents in youth games, being spat at and manhandled physically.


      Many of these ppl give up their time voluntarily only to be treated like criminals. Great for the losing coach to beat the pinyata ofc.

      73 Go to comments
      N
      NB 36 minutes ago
      'The Wallabies only have themselves to blame': How the Lions sunk Australia in Melbourne

      Agreed, I don’t think even Kurtley would suggest Kurtley at this stage of his career!

      73 Go to comments
      N
      NB 36 minutes ago
      'The Wallabies only have themselves to blame': How the Lions sunk Australia in Melbourne

      Lions have been good but patchy. Even if they win 3-0 I don’t see how it can be remembered as one of the great Lions sides because they have not been pushed to the limit bar one game.

      73 Go to comments
      N
      NB 39 minutes ago
      'The Wallabies only have themselves to blame': How the Lions sunk Australia in Melbourne

      I think Lynagh has been okay in fact, and def worth perisisting with. I’d have liked to see Paisami at 12 once Kerevi was ruled out because they are clubmates.


      I hesitate to read too much into this WB performance though. We’ve seen bouncebacks like this before - remember the 23-20 at Dunedin in the run-up to the RWC 2023? WB was 17-3 up in that one under Eddie.


      So I don’t feel Melbourne represents a mean ‘standard of performance’ which they can repeat game in, game out.


      Two tests away in South Africa could make them or break them. I guess how the third Lions test goes will be key.

      Spot on.

      73 Go to comments
      O
      Otagoman II 45 minutes ago
      'The Wallabies only have themselves to blame': How the Lions sunk Australia in Melbourne

      It’s more the fact that May’s legs are not trailing him in his motion that makes him vulnerable to a tipping force that he is not prepared for.

      73 Go to comments
      N
      NB 46 minutes ago
      'The Wallabies only have themselves to blame': How the Lions sunk Australia in Melbourne

      No, Tizzano enters from the side of the ruck first. So he’s first to the ball yes, but he is also offside.


      The contact itself is either shoulder to shoulder or shoulder to neck, impossible to tell which!

      73 Go to comments
      O
      Otagoman II 49 minutes ago
      'The Wallabies only have themselves to blame': How the Lions sunk Australia in Melbourne

      There are other defenders in the area. Sheehan’s head could connect with them with a motion that would twist suddenly and him not being prepared.

      73 Go to comments
      N
      NB 49 minutes ago
      'The Wallabies only have themselves to blame': How the Lions sunk Australia in Melbourne

      Did Piardi and his crew ‘ignore the rules’? What evidence do you have for that conclusion?


      As I understand it Tizzano was not required to undergo an HIA at the end of the game, so what does that tell you? He was also also into the ruck at the side so the first tech pen was on him.


      None of us can really say whether Jac Morgan made contact with Tizzano’s shoulder or neck first, and I can show you 20 instances in every game where similar instances occur without pen.


      https://imgur.com/a/rzz1pTT


      Coaches always rabbit on about ‘controlling the controllables’ so why do they depart from their own principles and blame the ref?

      73 Go to comments
      LONG READ
      LONG READ ‘There are coaches who make you believe in yourself more than ever. Steve is one of those’ ‘There are coaches who make you believe in yourself more than ever. Steve is one of those’