The Casualty Ward Aotearoa & AU

Super Rugby is back from its Coronavirus enforced break. We are your one stop shop to find all the injury news in one place! We endevour to list all known information, while also offering our own insights as a Physiotherapist and Podiatrist.

If you like what you read please like, share and review us every where people talk about rugby, and check out our Draft Rugby podcast due out late Monday night each week (Sydney time). Tune in, rate, review and share us. You’ll find us across all platforms on the links below:

Returning from injury (Aotearoa Rd 1):

Etene Nanai-Seturo (Chiefs) - Has been able to exit the NZ 7's so will be up for selection for round 1.
Nepo Laulala (Chiefs) - His rd 1 MCL tear has apparently healed, and he will be up for selection for rd 1. Source.
Luke Jacobson (Chiefs) - Recovered from his concussion and neural hamstring injury and is now good to go for round 1. Source.
Beauden Barrett (Blues) - The star flyhalf/ fullback is fit and available before round 1, but let's be honest, you already knew that.
Caleb Clarke (Blues) - Back from the NZ 7's to play much Super Rugby.
Dan Carter (Blues) - Signed for the Blues as an injury replacement for Perofranchise.
Ethan Blackadder (Crusaders) - Shoulder stabilisatrion surgery at the end of October. Returned to training early March so could be back playing quickly. Source.
Scott Gregory (Highlanders) - Back from the NZ 7s.
Thomas Umaga-Jensen (Highlanders) - Had off season shoulder surgery and was due back in April. Source.
Ardie Savea (Hurricanes) - Recovered from his knee surgery, "a good chance" to play round 1. Source. Played in the intraclub game last Friday. Source.
Salesi Rayasi (Hurricanes) - Left the NZ 7's for the year to play Super Rugby. Source.

Allan Alaalatoa (Brumbies) - Recovered from his broken arm.
Folau Faingaa (Brumbies) - Ruled out since round 4 with a toe injury, should be right to return.

Embed from Getty Images

New Players:

Nehe Milner-Skudder (Highlanders) - Signed on for the Highlanders but hasn't played rugby in 18 months. Source. He is expected to play fullback and is targetting a round 3 or 4 return. Source
Vilimoni Koroi (Highlanders) - Joins the Highlanders a season early from the NZ 7's side. Can cover fullback, wing and first-five. Source.
Sam Gilbert (Highlanders) - Joins the Highlanders from the NZ 7's side and will start in round 1 on the wing. Source.
Sam Whitelock (Crusaders) - Signed back on from his sabbatical to play SR Aotearoa. Source.
Tupou Vaa’i (Chiefs) - The Taranaki lock has been brought into the squad to cover the loss of Allardice and McWhannell. Source.

Ben Hyne (Brumbies) - Signed for the Brumbies (from the Sunwolves) on a short term loan as an injury replacement for Neville. Source.
Mac Grealy (Reds) - Signed on as a replacement for Isaac Lucas, is said to be a teenage sensation on the wing and at fullback. Source.
Lewis Holland (Rebels) - The former Australian 7's captain is a star playmaker in the shorter format of the game. Originally a centre we would expect him to play 10, 12 or 15. Source.
Lachie Anderson (Rebels) - An Aussie 7's player who formally played flanker, he has signed with the Rebels to compete for a backline spot. Source.
Jeral Skelton (Rebels) - Cousin of Will Skelton and Peter Betham, Jeral is seen as a freakish athlete that should play in the Rebels backline. Source.

Embed from Getty Images

New Injuries (preseason):

Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes) - Apparently suffered a shoulder injury, NZME reported he will miss the 1st three weeks and that surgery is a possibility (this doesn't make sense), the Hurricanes are saying he is still a possibility after just suffering "a knock". Source.
Sam Cane (Chiefs) - Due to miss round 1 with a minor back injury. Missed one weeks training then pulled up tight for a few days after returning so Gatland decided to rest him. Source.
Atu Moli (Chiefs) - Set to undergo 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.
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.

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.
Caderyn Neville (Brumbies) - Expected to miss the first 2-3 weeks of the relaunched Super Rugby season after having ankle surgery in during the shutdown. Source.
Tom Banks (Brumbies) - Managing a foot problem, but the Brumbies have tinkered with his training load to make sure he's ready to burst back into action when the season gets the green light. Source.
The Western Force Team - Get to know the squad here.

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.

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
David Havili - Had a foreign object removed from his stomach at the start of March. Has put a lot of weight back on and is running around since mid May, but no firm return date has been set that we know of. Source.

Blues
Nil

AUSTRALIA

Brumbies
Toni Pulu - Had shoulder surgery early March, still wasn't back training in mid May so unlikely to play anytime soon. Source.
Blake Enever - Was in Queensland mid May working his way back from a leg injury. Source.

Reds
Brandon Paenga-Amosa - Sprained his ankle rd 1, expected to be out for up to 8 weeks so should be fine for the new season. Source.
Moses Sorovi - Seen limping around on crutches during rd 4. Still injured in mid March. Source.
Hunter Paisami - Injured his MCL (knee) in rd 6 and was meant to miss at least a month. We assume he will be fine for SR AU Rd 1. 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.
Luke Jones - Sidelined with a back injury since rd 2, but was continually delayed, so who the hell knows from here!

Waratahs
Ned Hanigan - Was still out with concussion from the start of the season to the Covid break. 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.
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.

Les Leulua’iali’i-Makin (Brumbies) – ruled out of Super Rugby season after rupturing his Achilles on the 25th of January. Source.

Have we missed something? Drop a comment or tweet and let us know.

Written by your local rugby nerd Harrison Dale.