Cika jumla mai zuwa:
Wasannin gasar cin kofin kasashe biyar na 1988 tsakanin Scotland da Ingila Richards ya sami haramcin wasa daya daga Rugby Football Union bayan wani lamari bayan wasan wanda ya lalata gasar Calcutta. Richards ya lashe lambar yabo ta farko a cikin aikinsa lokacin da Leicester ta doke Waterloo don lashe gasar 1987/88 Courage League, taken farko na Ingila na farko. An zabi Richards tare da wasu 'yan wasan Leicester guda uku don yawon shakatawa na Ingila a Ostiraliya da Fiji. Raunin da ya faru ya iyakance Richards zuwa wasanni 15 kawai ga Leicester a 1988-89, kodayake ya sami damar shiga wasan karshe na 1988-89 Pilkington Cup da Bath, kafin a zaɓe shi don yawon shakatawa na British Lions na 1989 zuwa Ostiraliya. Richards ya taka leda a duka gwaji uku na Lions kuma wasan sa mai karfi shine tushen nasarar Lions.