Sam Warburton
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2007: The teenage Warburton suffered a hamstring injury which was to keep him out of the whole of Wales’ 2008 U20s Six Nations campaign.
2008: Having skippered Wales U20s to the semi-final of the Junior World Cup from No 8 in the summer, he was then consigned to some five months on the sidelines after tearing ACJ shoulder ligaments while training.
2010: June – On just his third start for his country, the young flanker broke his jaw in the end of season international against South Africa,
2011: March – Having established himself as the successor to Martyn Williams as Wales’ openside, Warburton started all five matches during the 2011 Six Nations only to hobble out of the final match against France
2012: February – It was to be an injury-strewn Six Nations for the now Wales skipper during the Grand Slam campaign, starting off with a dead leg in the Dublin opener versus Ireland which kept him out of the next game against Scotland.
February: Having recovered to face England at Twickenham, Warburton produced one of the performances of his career as the Triple Crown was secured, which was all the more notable as he picked up a medial knee ligament sprain during the game.
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March: After sitting out the Italy match, the skipper was back for the Grand Slam clincher against France, only to end up lifting the trophy with one arm lying immobile at his side having sustained nerve damage to his right shoulder.
October: Warburton’s Twitter feed wasn’t for the faint hearted after he dislocated the middle finger on his left hand during the Blues’ Euro clash with Sale at the Salford City Stadium
2013: February – Another bang to his shoulder against Ireland kept him out of the following week’s trip to Paris.
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June – Handed the Lions captaincy for the 2013 tour of Australia, led by example with an immense display in the second Test in Melbourne only to be forced off late on after suffering an 8cm tear in his hamstring,
December – The stinger he suffered to his shoulder against Australia in Cardiff added further pain on a frustrating day when Wales went down to yet another narrow defeat to the Wallabie
2014: March – Getting through a Six Nations campaign unscathed was becoming a problem for Warburton and in the final day rout of Scotland he sustained a dislocated right shoulder
October – Another day, another stinger. There was at least a memorable win to ease the pain, as the Warburton-led Wales ended their long wait for a victory over the Springboks.
2015: November – Warburton’s rivalry with Justin Tipuric has been an ongoing and it was during a coming together between the pair in an Ospreys-Blues clash that he sustained ankle damage which meant a two month lay-off.
2016: April – He faced a race against time to make Wales’ tour of New Zealand after spraining the AC joint in his right shoulder in a heavy collision with the Ospreys’ Dan Lydiate.
October – the Blues flanker fractured his cheekbone in a clash of heads with Leinster’s Josh van der Flier.
2017: April – Warburton was ruled out for six weeks with a knee injury, meaning he was only fit for the Lions tour only by a whisker.