Casualty Ward Aotearoa Rd 4, AU Rd 1
Casualty Ward Aotearoa Rd 4, AU Rd 1
Super Rugby AU is among us, meaning we now have 10 active clubs to manage their injuries. The Casualty Ward remains your one stop shop for all injusty news. Check out all the injury news out there as well as the insights of our teams Physiotherapist and Podiatrist.
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Returned from injury (Aotearoa Rd 4 & AU Rd 1):
Tupou Vaa’i (Chiefs) – Back via the bench after missing last week with illness.
Solomon Alaimalo (Chiefs) – Back via the bench after missing last week with illness.
Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes) – Back from his shoulder injury and was one of the standout players of the week.
Brandon Paenga-Amosa (Reds) – Started for the reads ahead of Mafi having recovered from his ankle sprain. Only played 40 minutes.
Hunter Paisami (Reds) – Recovered from his MCL injury to play on the weekend but didn't have the impact we saw at the start of the year.
Ned Hanigan (Waratahs) – Recovered from his concussion and played reasonably well, especially when throwing a right to left cut out for a line break assist.
Likely back this week (Aotearoa Rd 5 & AU Rd 2):
Nehe Milner-Skudder (Highlanders) – Hasn’t played rugby in 18 months after consecutive shoulder injuries. Expected to play fullback. They are now targeting round 5. Source.
Josh Ioane (Highlanders) – Tore a muscle in his groin in training late before rd 1, was close to playing rd 4 but didn’t quite recover. Source.
Karl Tu’inukuafe (Blues) – Aiming to return from a hamstring injury following the rd 4 bye. Played club rugby in rd 3 so he should be fit. Source.
New Injuries (Aotearoa Rd 4 AU Rd 1 ):
Anton Lienert-Brown (Chiefs) - Missed rd 4 after developing concussion symptoms through the week. Source.
Naitoa Ah Kuoi (Chiefs) - Was stretchered off after an ugly head clash, Gatland said he was walking around fine post-match and felt alright but will need to pass his concussion protocol. Source.
Josh Dickson (Highlanders) - Came off with what looked like a serious ankle injury in the first half. Source.
David Havili (Crusaders) - Limped off in the 2nd half with an ankle injury. Source.
Ethan Blackadder (Crusaders) - Was a late scratching from the game, not sure why.
Fraser Armstrong (Hurricanes) - Came off with what we think was a knee issue. Source.
Scott Scrafton (Hurricanes) - Given a red card after consecutive yellows but was given no further sanction.
Isi Naisarani (Rebels) - Missed rd 1 with a hamstring injury. Source.
Anaru Rangi (Rebels) - Missed rd 1 with a knee injury. Source.
Hunter Paisami (Reds) - Was spotted in the post game photos with ice on right ankle. Not sure how bad the injury is but it seems most likely minor.
Angus Blyth (Reds) - Came off with a concussion after a nasty head knock.
Folau Fainga'a (Brumbies) - Looks to have broken his nose in the second half.
New Players
Simon Hickey (Hurricanes) - The 26 yr old Fly half has come back from playing in the northern hemisphere. Expected not to play for a few weeks as he gets used to the contact training again. Source.
Nick Frisby (Western Force) - The former Queensland Red half back was released by Glasgow earlier this year and has now signed for the Force. Source.
Pek Cowan (Western Force) - Released by Japan while the competition isn't running so that he can play for his old club. Aiming to play in AU rd 3. Source.
Dave Porecki (Waratahs) - The 27 year old hooker is returning from the UK to push for a starting spot in Super Rugby AU. Source.
Ongoing Injury List:
NEW ZEALAND
Highlanders
Nil
Chiefs
Nathan Harris – Had a rotator cuff (shoulder muscle) repair on the 15th of January. Out for at least six months and was set to miss all of Super Rugby. A chance to get a run during this season but we haven’t heard anything. Source.
Angus Ta’avou – Had an operation to repair his quad tendon. Is a chance to play the second half of the season. Source.
Mitch Karpik – Concussed in rd 3 and missed rd 4.
Hurricanes
Jonah Lowe – Injured his shoulder in the Crusaders trial, the same one from 2019. No info about an expected return date. Source.
Kane Le’aupepe – Has had hip surgery in mid december to repair a torn labrum and remove a CAM impingement. He will be out for 5-6 months. It is worth noting that these injuries vary massively with return to sport time, it could really be 4-9 months! Source.
Crusaders
Cullen Grace – Ruled out of action for the foreseeable future with a fractured thumb that requires an operation in rd 3. Source.
Blues
Blake Gibson – Took a head knock then came off after 30 minutes with ice on his hamstring in rd 1. Wasn’t fit for rd 2. Source.
Tom Robinson – Had a meniscal tear cleaned up in his knee after rd 1. Recovery said to be 6-8 weeks, they are targeting 5-6. Generally it varies from 1-12 weeks so it is hard to guess from the outside. Source.
AUSTRALIA
Western Force
Get to know the squad here.
Brumbies
Toni Pulu – Had shoulder surgery early March, still wasn’t back training in mid May so unlikely to play anytime soon. Source.
Caderyn Neville – Expected to miss the first 2-3 weeks of the relaunched Super Rugby season after having ankle surgery in during the shutdown. Source.
Nick Frost – Is expected to miss round 1, no details on his injury. Source.
Tom Banks - Managing a foot problem, was expected to play rd 1 but was held back so should play after the round 2 bye.
Reds
Moses Sorovi – Seen limping around on crutches during rd 4. Still injured in mid March. Source.
Jordan Petaia – Dislocated his shoulder after round 2, has had shoulder surgery so would be back in August at the earliest.
Rebels
James Tuttle – Ruptured his Achilles twice! First in October 2018, and again five months into his rehab. Was aiming to play a few weeks into the regular season, so hopefully will be competing for a spot in rd 1 of SR AU. Source.
Waratahs
Jake Gordon – Missed round 1 with a torn hamstring. Source.
Karmichael Hunt – Missed round 1 with a torn hamstring. Source.
Lalakai Foketi – Missed round 1 with a torn hamstring. Source.
Tom Robertson – Missed round 1 with a back injury. Source.
Gone for the season:
Baden Wardlaw (Blues) – Forced to retire before the season due to a chronic neck fusion. Source.
Ray Niuia (Blues) – Has a knee injury that will cost him his season. Source.
Tanielu Tele’a (Blues) – Had a shoulder injury after round 6 and is out for the season. Source.
Stephen Perofeta (Blues) – Has been ruled out for the season, openning the door for Dan Carter to sign for the Blues. No more detail on his injury yet.
Ricky Jackson (Highlanders) – The hooker will miss the entire SR campaign with an ankle injury and operation. Nathan Vella brought in to replace him. Source.
James Lentjes (Highlanders) – Fracture dislocated his ankle in rd 5, will have surgery and is gone for the season. Expected recovery is 6-9 months. Source.
Connor Garden-Bachop (Highlanders) – Had an operation on his back due to return in June but his spot in the side has been taken. Source.
Tevita Nabura (Highlanders) – Still getting over an operation on his lower back after he suffered an injury at training just before Christmas, was expected back in April but his spot has been taken. Source.
Sam Gilbert (Highlanders) – Tore his ACL in rd 3 and will miss 9 months. Source.
Atu Moli (Chiefs) – Had FAI (hip impingement) surgery on both hips to treat chronic hip dysfunction. Will miss the entire season. Source.
Michael Allardice (Chiefs) – Gone for the season having undergone surgery for a shoulder reconstruction . Source.
Laghlan McWhannell (Chiefs) – Gone for the season having gone under the knife to have a patellar tendon debridement (this is not a good sign for such a young player). Source.
Sam McNicol (Chiefs) – Gone for the season after ankle surgery to correct his anterior impingement and clean up his joint surfaces. Source.
Luke Jacobson (Chiefs) – Fractured his hand against the Blues. The recovery time for the injury is 5 to 6 weeks but the Chiefs are taking a cautious approach and don’t expect him to play this season. Source.
Tyler Ardron (Chiefs) – Will now leave the squad to start his contract with Castres. Source.
Scott Barrett (Crusaders) – Tore his plantar fascia in the intrasquad trial. Had surgery on the 25th of June and will miss the full Super Rugby season. There is no definite return time as the research is pretty limited, my expectation is roughly 6 months, but it could be double that. Source.
Les Leulua’iali’i-Makin (Brumbies) – ruled out of Super Rugby season after rupturing his Achilles on the 25th of January. Source.
Blake Enever (Brumbies) – Has been released by the Brumbies to return home to Brisbane immediately on compassionate grounds where he will continue his recovery from a lower leg injury. Source.Now confirmed he has signed for Leicester. Source.
Isaac Lucas (Reds) – Had his RA contract torn up after rejecting a pay cut from the Reds. Expected to sign for a Japanese rugby club. Source.
Harry Hockings (Reds) – Had his RA contract torn up after rejecting a pay cut from the Reds. Expected to sign for a Japanese rugby club. Source.
Izack Rodda (Reds) – Had his RA contract torn up after rejecting a pay cut from the Reds. Apparently he still might reverse his decision to leave. Source.
Henry Speight (Reds) – Has been released from his contract to take up a 3 year contract with Biarritz, won’t play Super Rugby AU. Source.
Damien Fitzpatrick (Waratahs) – Retired from professional rugby before the AU season started. Source.
Kurtley Beale (Waratahs) – Won’t take any part in Super Rugby AU after being released early to take up his contract with Racing 92. Source.
Mack Mason (Waratahs) – Still on contract until November but has been allowed to seek employement on his farm in Queensland and isn’t back training with the squad. Source.
Chris Alcock (Western Force) – Has just announced his retirement prior to the start of Super Rugby AU. Source.
Luke Jones (Rebels) – Released early to play overseas and won't play in Super Rugby AU.
Have we missed something? Drop a comment or tweet and let us know.
Written by your local rugby nerd Harrison Dale.