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Kanaar determined to bounce back
January 03, 2008 - 4:15pm
Story by: Sportal
Waratahs lock Alex Kanaar remains upbeat despite suffering his second knee injury in as many seasons, which will see him miss the start of the 2008 Super 14 season.
Kanaar underwent arthroscopic surgery on Thursday after scans revealed minor cartilage and meniscus damage in his left knee.
The promising 24-year-old, who missed the entire 2007 season following reconstructive surgery on his right knee, is expected to spend as many as eight weeks on the sidelines.
"After what I've been through in the last 12 months it's a minor setback, nothing more," a determined Kanaar said.
"I've been training really well and the right knee's feeling great so it's disappointing the other one's playing up now."
"But I'll hopefully be right by late February or early March, which puts me right in the frame for round four against the Brumbies."
Coach Ewen McKenzie described the injury as more of a setback psychologically than an ongoing physical concern.
"Alex has been one of our hardest workers in training and he's in excellent shape so it's a shame for this to have happened now," McKenzie said.
"We thought rather than let it go we'll just get it sorted out and he'll be back for the majority of the season."
"We had been hoping to see him in the trials but instead we'll shift our focus to getting him right for the Brumbies on March 7."
The Waratahs returned to full-scale training on Thursday as preparations intensify for their first trial match against the Queensland Reds in Sydney on Australia Day.
And McKenzie made no secret of his desire to erase the memory of a disappointing 2007 campaign.
"We've got pretty high expectations, we're certainly not going to dwell on last year but we're pretty confident we'll do pretty well this year," he said.
"We've got a good squad, like every squad you carry a couple of injuries into the season but we'll get those guys back along the way."
Steve Orme, Sportal
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