But Keenan, the Ireland full back, was forced to pull out of the game with a stomach bug that laid him low for 12 days. Daly had just left the gym on the day of the game when his phone rang. \u201cWell done,\u201d Andy Farrell, the head coach, said. \u201cYou\u2019ve won the golden ticket. You\u2019re playing this evening.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daly\u2019s late inclusion extended a remarkable run of being in every Lions match-day squad since the opening fixture of the 2021 tour to South Africa, a run of 11 consecutive games. In his three Lions tours, he had missed out only four times in 22 fixtures.<\/p>\n
Daly reinforced his Test-match credentials against the Reds with some lovely touches, including an assist for Tommy Freeman\u2019s first try. But just after the hour mark, he rushed up into the defensive line to close the space. Jock Campbell, the Reds full back, tried to evade the tackle and his right hip cracked into Daly\u2019s outstretched forearm. <\/p>\n
It looked innocuous enough but Daly\u2019s reaction \u2014 spinning out of the contact and down on to one knee, holding his arm \u2014 told a different story. He knew immediately something was wrong. We all did. Some golden ticket.<\/p>\n
![\"Elliot](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\/c6ffb542-9185-478c-aa4c-4b2f6bd61c01.jpg\")
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Daly managed to stay on the field after the initial contact<\/p>\n
BILLY STICKLAND\/INPHO\/SHUTTERSTOCK<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a pretty bad break,\u201d Daly says. \u201cIt broke in the middle and then sort of spiral fractured each way. So that was the worst bit. If it just broke in the middle, then it\u2019s not as bad. But because it was kind of in bits, it takes a bit longer to get back. I had to have a plate the whole length of my radius which will stay in there. It makes for a good x-ray!\u201d<\/p>\n
Daly continued to play for three more minutes, at one point chasing a kick downfield with his left arm immobile by his side. He eventually left the field with a grimace and a shake of the head after Huw Jones had blocked a kick on halfway, regathered and raced away for the seventh of eight Lions tries. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe doctor came on and all my testing was fine. It just felt a little bit dead in here,\u201d Daly says, pointing to a spot in the middle of his forearm. \u201cSometimes you get like an elbow in there [and it can feel numb].<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I thought, \u2018Oh, it could be that\u2019. But then as soon as the medics left, I think we had a lineout and we kicked it. I was running after it, and I was like, \u2018I\u2019ve broken my arm\u2019. I could feel that it was all wobbly and clicking.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then the ball wouldn\u2019t go out. You\u2019re just trying to get people to fill in the space you should be. I was running from touchline to touchline. I couldn\u2019t touch the ball.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daly spent the rest of the game on the bench with his arm wrapped in a sling of ice. Afterwards he was taken immediately to hospital and he agreed to allow the Lions in-house cameraman to document the journey. Almost immediately, he had a matter-of-fact mindset. <\/p>\n
![\"Elliot](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\/9679463a-ecdb-4f17-8c11-89906c01d19b.jpg\")
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Daly on the sidelines after coming off<\/p>\n
BILLY STICKLAND\/INPHO<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I deal with stuff like, \u2018Oh, it\u2019s happened. I can\u2019t really do anything about it,\u2019 \u201d he says. \u201cThat was my mentality towards it. Obviously, it\u2019s absolutely gutting.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut if you\u2019re excessively gutted about it, in my opinion, you then don\u2019t focus on the next thing, which is getting back. I think that\u2019s just how I deal with stuff. <\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, everyone\u2019s very different, but I\u2019d rather just be like, \u2018Right, that\u2019s me done\u2019. I was emotional about it but it\u2019s like, in rugby and in sport, it can happen any day.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it was just one of those things. It\u2019s just an awkward tackle that gets you in the right spot.<\/p>\n
![\"Elliot](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\/efcbbb79-4e6a-4e46-8c5a-bac1b78b5fba.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Daly was remarkably stoic about his tour ending early, choosing to focus only on his recovery in the hours after breaking an arm<\/p>\n
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER MARC ASPLAND<\/p>\n
\u201cIt happened on a stage which you don\u2019t want, because you want to be available for the whole tour. But at the same time, it could have happened at the end of the season and I didn\u2019t go on tour. So that\u2019s how I kind of look at it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daly and the Lions considered surgery in Australia. He was invited to remain with the squad for as long as he wanted, an indicator of how important his personality and experience was. But Daly chose to get home immediately, although he was given one final task.<\/p>\n
\u201cBig Faz said, \u2018Do you want to announce the team [for the NSW Waratahs game]?\u2019 My initial thing was like, \u2018Not really\u2019.<\/p>\n
![\"Elliot](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\/da70d697-2751-48ae-9802-43e7a68f8f7e.jpg\")
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Daly had been in excellent form, scoring twice against the Western Force in the Lions\u2019 first tour game in Perth<\/p>\n
DAN SHERIDAN\/INPHO\/SHUTTERSTOCK<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I said I would do it. I just thought it would be nice to stand up and say to the lads, \u2018Thanks for everything, go and smash it\u2019. It was good to address them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI could have stayed and watched that game in Sydney. [But] then you end up being a week later in your recovery. That was my mindset towards it. The best thing for me was to come home and get the operation done. Let\u2019s not waste any time in that regard.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlso, I wasn\u2019t very mobile at that point because I had a massive cast on, up to my shoulder. So I wouldn\u2019t be able to take my pants off very easily and I don\u2019t think my room-mate would necessarily want that every morning.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Elliot](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\/9fd05f33-5a38-4d4e-b7fd-007c8991df87.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Daly crashes over for his first and the Lions\u2019s third try against Western Force<\/p>\n
STEVE CHRISTO\/SPORTSFILE<\/p>\n
Daly flew home via Qatar; a long and uncomfortable flight. With his arm locked in position he could not lie back. Concerns that his arm would swell with the flight pressure thankfully proved unfounded. He landed on the Friday, two days after the game, and the next day he was in Manchester.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was weird to walk out without a cast. My arm was in a sling and the surgeon wanted me to keep mobile.\u201d<\/p>\n
A week after the operation, while the Lions were in Adelaide for their final tune-up before the first Test, Daly was at Lord\u2019s for the match between England and India. A fine cricketer himself, having represented Surrey and England Under-15s, Daly was invited on to Test Match Special.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really enjoyed it,\u201d he says. \u201cI told my dad and he was very happy about it. I love cricket, so it was nice to talk about something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Owen](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\/1fe3e88d-a8d9-4da4-b24d-ce59908276da.jpg\")
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