Casualty Ward Super Rugby AU Rd 5 & Aotearoa Rd 4
Casualty Ward Super Rugby AU Rd 5 & Aotearoa Rd 4
The Casualty Ward is keeping you up to date with all your injury news across Super Rugby AU and Aotearoa. We stay on top of all the latest news, with the added insights of our team's Physiotherapist and Podiatrist.
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Returned from injury (AU Rd 5 & Aotearoa Rd 4):
Cullen Grace (Crusaders) - Made his comeback from a rib injury.
Ethan Blackadder (Crusaders) - Returned from a rd 2 concussion.
Oli Jager (Crusaders) - Returned off the bench after injuring his foot in the first trial.
Kaleb Trask (Chiefs) - Returned from a knee problem suffered in pre-season.
Aidan Ross (Chiefs) - Returned from a preseason knee injury to start.
Quinn Tupaea (Chiefs) - Returned from his hamstring injury.
TJ Faiane (Blues) - Returned from an unkmown injury off the bench.
Finlay Christie (Blues) - Returned from an unkown leg injury off the bench.
Alex Hodgman (Blues) - Returned from an ankle injury
Lalakai Foketi (Waratahs) - Came back from his shoulder injury via the bench.
Marcel Brache (Western Force) - Played this week after being a late withdrawal last round.
Likely back this week (AU rd 6, Aotearoa rd 5):
Mark Telea (Blues) - Limped off the field at halftime and didn't return after the break. Apparently, MacDonald said he had a head knock.
Dalton Papalii (Blues) - Copped a head knock against the Highlanders and missed last week. Source.
Pari Pari Parkinson (Highlanders) - Came back from his ankle operation to play in the development side in rd 3, expected back this week. Source.
Kazuki Himeno (Highlanders) - Now confirmed that he is available for selection this week. Source.
Ayden Johnstone (Highlanders) - Suffered a concussion while training for the North v South game last year. Fit to play this week. Source.
Dane Coles (Hurricanes) - Expected to return this week on his comeback from a minor calf injury. Source.
Scott Scrafton (Hurricanes) - Returned from his rd 1 ankle sprain early. Source.
Jona Nareki (Highlanders)- Has a hip pointer injury (bruised pelvis) from rd 3. Still really sore but was being given every chance to play. Source.
Pita Gus Sowakula (Chiefs) - Recovered from a knee injury to take his spot on the bench. Source.
Angus Bell (Waratahs) - Has recovered from an ankle injury to play this week. Source.
Izaia Perese (Waratahs) - Returning from a tip tackle 3-week red card layoff. Source.
Will Harris (Waratahs) - Expected to be named fit to play this week. Source.
Feao Fotuaika (Reds) - Picked up a red card for cleaning a man with his shoulder to the head in rd 2. He has been banned for 3 weeks so will be back in rd 6.
James Slipper (Brumbies) - Injured his knee in training before rd 3. Confirmed as a mid range MCL tear so was expected to miss 4-6 weeks. Has recovered quicker than expected and could play this week. Source.
New Injuries (AU Rd 5, Aotearoa Rd 4):
Blake Gibson (Blues) - Came off in the 41st minute with a concussion.
Kurt Eklund (Blues) - Has been cited late for his tip tackle on Sevu Reece and given a three week ban. He will return in rd 9 after their bye. Source.
Ofa Tu'ungafasi (Blues) - Has been cited late for his shoulder on Scott Barrett's chin. May face a ban. Source.
Tupou Vaai (Chiefs) - Failed HIA and didn't return.
Solomon Alaimalo (Chiefs) - Is "unwell" and is still a few weeks away from playing as of rd 5. Source.
Nehe Milner-Skudder (Chiefs) - As of rd 5 they said he wasn't fully ready for a Super Rugby return following his well-documented shoulder injury. Source.
Etene Nanai-Seturo (Chiefs) - Out of rd 5 with what is suspected to be a minor hamstring injury. Source.
Mitch Karpik (Chiefs) - Missing due to a neck injury of unknown severity. Source.
Josh Lord (Chiefs) - Out of rd 5 with a shoulder injury. Source.
Jonah Lowe (Chiefs) - Is unwell and hasn't trained with the team leading up to week 5. Source.
Richard Kahui (Western Force) - Limped off for an HIA and failed the test. Will go through concussion protocols.
Will Harrison (Waratahs) - Was carrying a hip injury which meant he wasn't kicking at goal and came off early.
Jack Dempsey (Waratahs) - Suffered a stress fracture in his foot after the game in rd 5 and won't play rd 6. These things often take 4-6 weeks at least to heal. It will be interesting to see how quickly they push him back in. Source.
Lachlan Swinton (Waratahs) - Suffered an ankle injury in rd 5 and won't play rd 6. A possibility to play the following week before their bye. Source.
Ongoing Injury List:
AUSTRALIA
Western Force
Kyle Godwin - Pulled pregame rd 1 with an ankle injury on Wednesday. Apparently he has fractured it so he should be out for at least 8 weeks. Source.
Andrew Ready - Copped a red card for punching someone in the head. Banned for 3 weeks. Means he will be back for round 8.
Toni Pulu - Has a low-grade ankle injury. We think he will miss 1-2 weeks. Source.
Brumbies
Tom Wright - Suffered bone bruising during training in the first week of February. Expected to miss at least the first six weeks of Super Rugby AU. Source.
Connal McInerney - Came off with a bad ankle injury in rd 3. Has apparently fractured his fibula (and probably damaged his syndesmosis). Is expected to be out for an extended period. Source.
Allan Alaalatoa - Red carded for taking Pone's head off. Banned for 3 weeks. Back in rd 8. Source.
Scott Sio - Came off with a nasty looking elbow injury in rd 4. Apparently he has "injured ligaments" so we would predict roughly 4-6 weeks out. Source.
Tom Ross - Came off with a knee injury in rd 4.
Tom Cusack - Looks to have injured his collar bone in rd 4.
Reds
Liam Wright - Will miss up to 10 weeks of the season with a syndesmosis injury in the preseason trial against the Waratahs. Source.
Rebels
Dane Haylett-Petty - Still out with ongoing concussion symptoms since the test season last year. Source.
Cameron Orr - Out with a hamstring injury. Not sure of its severity. Source.
Campbell Magnay - Missed rd 2 due to a quad strain, the reports inferred he wasn't far away but that isn't confirmed. Source.
Emosi Tuqiri - Out with a lower-body injury. Source.
Isi Naisarani - Was expected to miss at least the Reds game (rd 2) after knee arthroscopy (clean up) showed far more extensive damage than was anticipated. He is fit but still building his quad strength. Source.
Jeral Skelton - Had a plate inserted in a minor leg fracture. Was on the plane to play in rd 3 so he should be close to play if he is to be selected. Source.
Kailea Isaac Aedo - Suffered a shoulder injury. Not sure what he has done.
Lewis Holland - Was one of a number of players coach Wessels name-dropped as injured in his post-match interview.
Ross Haylett-Petty - Copped a three week ban following his red card in rd 4. Source.
Waratahs
Robbie Abel - Has an ankle injury and isn't back training two weeks out from round 1. Source.
Joey Walton - Limped off with an ankle injury in rd 1. Could miss up to three months so we might not see him again this season. Source.
Jake Gordon - Syndesmosis (high ankle) sprain in rd 1 has now been confirmed. They say he will miss 8 weeks which would have him back for the final SR AU game. Newsome let slip that they are aiming for a 6 week return. Source.
NEW ZEALAND
Toni Brown has let out that there is no set plan to rest All Blacks this year - Source.
Highlanders
Sam Gilbert – Tore his ACL in rd 3 and will miss 9 months. Due back around April 2021. Source.
Daniel Lienert-Brown - Came off with a bad-looking shoulder injury. He has fractured his arm and will be back around the end of April. Source.
Liam Squire - Missed rd 4 with hip and knee injury, still in doubt to play rd 5. Source.
Chiefs
Atu Moli – Had FAI (hip impingement) surgery on both hips to treat chronic hip dysfunction. Missed the entire 2020 season. Still on the road to recovery as of rd 2 2021. Source.
Laghlan McWhannell - Currently has a knee injury which we assume is still the patella tendon debridement from last year. Word is that he has had further surgery. Missed all of 2020 and now has had an injury replacement brought in so we assume he is out for some time. Source.
Lachlan Boshier - Hasn't played this season due to a minor foot injury. Aggravated it before rd 3 and won't play again in rd 4. Source.
Nathan Harris - Has a long-term plan to get back in genuine contention for the match-day squad is in place after a long stint on the sideline. Source.
Hurricanes
Jamie Booth - Tore his MCL and PCL in his knee, plus fractured his tibial plateau (surface of his knee joint). Had an operation in October. I'd suspect he is about six months (April) to return as a minimum but Holland has said he could even miss the entire season. Source.
Vaea Fifita - Missed rd 2 with concussion. No word on his return.
Asafo Aumua - Damaged his AC joint in his shoulder in round 2. Missed rd 4 and is still likely a week or two away. Source.
Crusaders
Braydon Ennor - Tore his ACL in the North V South game and is not due back until after SR Aotearoa. Source.
Manasa Mataele - Recovering from a pec muscle repair in mid October only a few days after Bridge. Expected return was by mid April but he is already playing in the Crusaders development side by rd 2 so we might see him in the back very soon. Source.
Tom Sanders - Fractured his cheek in the intrasquad match (Feb 6th we think), ruled out for 8-10 weeks. This would mean a rd 6 return at the earliest. Source.
George Bridge - Fit again after having his pec muscle repaired last year. Will apparently return via the development side. Source.
Blues
Ray Niuia – Had a knee injury that cost him his 2020 season. We assume he is back competing for a spot this year.
Soane Vikena - The NZ U20s hooker will miss the season with a shoulder injury from back in November. Source.
Dillon Hunt - Listed as injured before the last preseason game. No other details yet. Source.
Jone Macalai - Listed as injured before the last preseason game. No other details yet. Source.
Josiah Maraku - Listed as injured before the last preseason game. No other details yet. Source.
Gone for the season:
Andrew Makalio (Crusaders) - has been ruled out of the 2021 Super Rugby season due to a neck injury. Source.
Tom Christie (Crusaders) - Dislocated his shoulder in rd 3 and will have surgery. He won't play again this year. Return to sport is roughly 6 months. Source.
Jermaine Ainsley (Highlanders) - Ruled out for the majority of SR Aotearoa due to a high ankle sprain sustained the week before the first trial. Source.
Fetuli Paea (Highlanders) - Ruled out of the rest of the season after injuring his ankle in the last preseason trial. Source.
Simon Hickey (Hurricanes) - Tore his ACL in preseason and will miss the entire 2021 season. Orbyn Leger is likely to get a full contract as injury cover. Source.
Jackson Garden-Bachop (Hurricanes) - Had surgery on his achilles tear, ruling him out for up to 9 months. Source.
James Parsons (Blues) - Retiring on medical advice, after being out of the game for several months from a head injury. Source.
Kini Naholo (Chiefs) - Will miss the entire 2021 Super Rugby campaign with injury.
Julian Montoya (Western Force) - Couldn't get a visa for his wife so is no longer join the Force. He is joining Leicester Tigers instead. Source.
Rhys van Nek (Rebels) - The young prop is out for the season with a hamstring injury. Source.
Have we missed something? Drop a comment or tweet and let us know.
Written by your local rugby nerd Harrison Dale.