вЂњIt could have killed me or it could have done what it did. I never lost that and I never lost movement of my hand and leg on my left side, which I should have at very least. вЂњI still get some funny sensations in my left leg as well, but I will take that. вЂњIt was like well, if youвЂ™ve got half an hour IвЂ™ll tell you the story why I bumped into you! вЂњWhen I was commuting to work, I used to walk through Waterloo every day and every now and then I would bump into somebody coming from my left and get sworn at, вЂWatch where youвЂ™re going mateвЂ™. вЂњThat is still there and I just deal with it. I have got no peripheral vision to the left, which is a brain injury rather than the eyes. вЂњI lost half my sight, which is still the case. вЂњIt was a very slow sort of recovery there. вЂњThey moved me up to the ward where I stayed for a week or so and then I was allowed to go home to my parentsвЂ™ place in Brisbane. вЂњBut from about day four things went to the positive side and I got better quite quickly after that. вЂњSo those three days were pretty bad and there were some pretty tough times from that. вЂњIn the end, they didnвЂ™t operate, they just decided to do it another way and they would know in about three days time. I could talk and I knew where I was a bit. вЂњAnd they didnвЂ™t understand why I was functioning so well. вЂњBasically, the doctors didnвЂ™t understand how I was still there, how I was still alive, because of the size of the swelling in the back of my head. вЂњI can sort of piece together what happened from my own memories and recollections from the doctors and my parents that were there. 'My back right artery had split, causing a clot. вЂњI wasnвЂ™t in very good shape at all,вЂќ he admits.

It soon became apparent just how serious the situation was, as he was moved into intensive care. Michael Lynagh in action for Australia in 1993 (Image: Getty Images)

вЂњI just thought they would give me a couple of tablets and send me home to get some rest.вЂќ вЂњThatвЂ™s when I went, вЂWhat, brain surgery, s***вЂ™ вЂњBut they said IвЂ™d had a stroke and theyвЂ™ve got to operate. вЂњI was thinking it was nothing serious, that I was just a bit dizzy, a bit tired and a bit jet-lagged and dehydrated. вЂњThe first time they said вЂYouвЂ™ve had a strokeвЂ™ I went вЂWhat?вЂ™ вЂњI just thought I had lost a bit of oxygen from when I was laughing and choking and that it would be all right, I would come round. вЂњAnyway, an ambulance arrived ten minutes later and they took me to hospital.

вЂњI can remember I had my head in my hands at the table. вЂњI had this unbelievable pain in the back of my head, I was very dizzy and I just couldnвЂ™t see. вЂњThe drink went down the wrong way, like weвЂ™ve all done, and then that was it, bang. вЂњI was taking a sip of beer and he hit the punchline and I sort of choked while I was laughing. вЂњWe were just about to leave at 8.30pm or something like that and a guy was telling a joke. вЂњWe had a steak, we were sitting outside and I had two light beers. вЂњAfter that, I met some old school mates at 6pm in the evening for some dinner.

вЂњI went straight to play golf with my dad and a couple of friends. вЂњI had flown to Singapore to do a charity dinner and I flew to Brisbane the next day,вЂќ he recalls. It happened in Brisbane, the city where he grew up, when he was over from his home in London, visiting friends and family. That was when he suffered the stroke which could have killed him, with doctors left baffled over how he survived. Then there was his post-playing success in the business world and his happy family life.Д«ut since April 2012 he has had even more reason to reflect on his good fortune. The affable Aussie already felt blessed thanks to the career he had enjoyed in rugby, having earned 72 Wallaby caps and been part of both the 1984 Grand Slam and 1991 World Cup winning teams. In all the interviews I have done with former rugby internationals over the last year or so, one theme which has cropped up again and again is how fortunate they feel looking back on their lives.Д«ut then thereвЂ™s lucky and thereвЂ™s Michael Lynagh lucky.

Michael iliner