Mortlock to miss rest of Tri-Nations

[laura]

Mortlock to miss rest of Tri-Nations
August 11, 2009 - 4:50pm
Story by: ARU

The Qantas Wallabies will be without their skipper, Stirling Mortlock, for the remainder of the Bundaberg Rum Tri Nations series.

An MRI scan today has confirmed that the 32-year-old will require an arthroscopy after suffering a lateral cartilage (meniscus) tear in his left knee during last Saturday night’s 17-29 loss to South Africa at Cape Town.

Mortlock sustained the injury 30 minutes into the match and left the field immediately.

He is booked to undergo the procedure, which is also known as keyhole surgery, tomorrow, and is expected to be sidelined for six weeks.

This will rule out a return to playing duties at Test level prior to the start of the Qantas Wallabies’ Spring Tour at the end of October. Mortlock was featuring in his 80th Test last weekend at Newlands.

Fellow Tri Nation’s squad member, utility forward Peter Kimlin, is also expected to be out of action for up to six weeks due to an axillary nerve injury in his right shoulder, which was sustained on the recent Brumbies development tour of Europe.

Kimlin, who was capped earlier this year during the two Bundaberg Rum Rugby Series Tests against Italy, is scheduled to undergo an MRI scan tomorrow, which will be followed by additional nerve conduction studies.

The injuries have necessitated a call for reinforcement, with Brumbies lock Mark Chisholm and the NSW Waratahs back Kurtley Beale being added to the Qantas Wallabies Tri Nations squad when it reassembles in Sydney on Thursday.

Chisholm, who played the most recent of his 40 Tests against Wales during last season’s Spring Tour, had his comeback match for Randwick last weekend, after having been sidelined since early April following the broken wrist he sustained while playing against the Cheetahs at Bloemfontein.

The uncapped Beale appeared in 12 of the Waratahs’ 13 matches during the recent Investec Super 14, in what was his third season at that level.

An Australian Schoolboys representative for three consecutive seasons, the 20-year-old this year underlined his versatility by functioning at both flyhalf and inside centre for the Waratahs, before switching to fullback for Australia while attending the Under-20 IRB World Cup in Japan during June.

Seven members of the Qantas Wallabies’ Tri Nations squad will released for club rugby duties this weekend.

They are Beale (Northern Suburbs, NSW), Peter Hynes (GPS, Queensland), Pek Cowan (Warringah, NSW), Phil Waugh (Sydney University, NSW), Matt Hodgson (Eastern Suburbs, NSW), Quade Cooper (Souths, Queensland) and Ryan Cross (Eastern Suburbs, NSW).

The Qantas Wallabies’ next match is Saturday week’s second Bledisloe Cup Test against the All Blacks at ANZ Stadium in Sydney.

http://www.rugby.com.au/news/wallabi.../section/21893

[AndyS]

"The uncapped Beale appeared in 12 of the Waratahs’ 13 matches during the recent Investec Super 14" - and did what to merit Wallaby selection, FFS?

[Sheikh]

Played for the Waratahs?

[James]

"The uncapped Beale appeared in 12 of the Waratahs’ 13 matches during the recent Investec Super 14" - and did what to merit Wallaby selection, FFS?

Greg Growden.

[TOCC]

interesting, i have faith in what deans can do with young talent like beale though..

good luck to him

[robyn <3]

Ryan Cross

Beale... I don't want to write him off, coz I agree TOCC Deans could work his magic with this boy, but at the moment, I really don't rate him. He's dreadful at 10. He's adequate at 15 (at least, more adequate than Drew, so if worst comes to worst, he could go there?)

But I think Crossy will go out of his way to make that gold 13 his own. Good luck!

[zimeric]

Beale has been called into the Squad not the match 22, relax people its not the end of the world!...they haven't brought him in as a replacement 10 but as a utility. Guys remember how much better he played with Halangahu inside him... the Tahs actually started stringing passes and looked more relaxed.


In my opinion they need some stability in the back line not flair though.
The Force 09 back line is a perfect example of that.
Call me delusional but i really think they need this lineup to be more effective against the boks (maybe not the AB's)
9) Genia
10) Gits
11) Cummins
12) Barnes
13) Cross
14) Mitchell
15)JOC

Cummins will provide a kick chase option and he has good leg drive as well to break tackles like mortlock. Cross will provide stability and reliabilty in defence as well as straight line running, Mitchell has a good kicking game (yes i do think so) and is dynamic enough to create opportunities from nothing, JOC seems to be the most reliable under the high ball out of all the 15's this year (pity Sheps isnt 100% yet as he'd be my #1 option there)

is Digby available yet? hed be another option out wide.. i still rate him as a winger over 13 (he tends to run too laterally for a 13)

[jargan83]

you have your 10 and 12 the wrong way around

[AndyS]

Still would have had someone like Horne, and then only because Ioane is not available. But if he is not going to play, why have anyone - leave them be and let them play in club rugby where they are all apparently Wallabies in waiting (apart from the wingers - got to go overseas to fill such a complex and specialist position)

[TOCC]

Beale has been called into the Squad not the match 22, relax people its not the end of the world!...they haven't brought him in as a replacement 10 but as a utility. Guys remember how much better he played with Halangahu inside him... the Tahs actually started stringing passes and looked more relaxed.


In my opinion they need some stability in the back line not flair though.
The Force 09 back line is a perfect example of that.
Call me delusional but i really think they need this lineup to be more effective against the boks (maybe not the AB's)
9) Genia
10) Gits
11) Cummins
12) Barnes
13) Cross
14) Mitchell
15)JOC

Cummins will provide a kick chase option and he has good leg drive as well to break tackles like mortlock. Cross will provide stability and reliabilty in defence as well as straight line running, Mitchell has a good kicking game (yes i do think so) and is dynamic enough to create opportunities from nothing, JOC seems to be the most reliable under the high ball out of all the 15's this year (pity Sheps isnt 100% yet as he'd be my #1 option there)

is Digby available yet? hed be another option out wide.. i still rate him as a winger over 13 (he tends to run too laterally for a 13)

that lineup is a little Force bias perhaps?

[zimeric]

you might look at it that way.. and i did indicate my thinking was based around the Force backline anyway, they did have the best back line in Aus rugby this year... and im pretty confident that if Cummins hadnt got injured he'd have mad the wallabies squad so my lineup would not be too far from being a reality.

Besides there are only 2 more force players in my list compared to whats currently in the lineup and only one outside the national squad.

[James]

that lineup is a little Force bias perhaps?

Giteau and Mitchell are ex-Force now so its only the three Force players

[mudskipper]

Good to have Chisholm and Elsom back in the mix... About Beale, Perhaps Deans has injury concerns about Gits and/or Barnes? Other wise you'd think a big centre like Cross would be in the 22...

[jargan83]

The problem that Ryan Cross faces is that unless he is the starting 13 he probably won't get a look in on the bench becasue of his lack of utility value

[mudskipper]

The problem that Ryan Cross faces is that unless he is the starting 13 he probably won't get a look in on the bench becasue of his lack of utility value

Agreed but he is a safe 13 and AAC can play 15 with JOC as a utility 12, wing or 15...

Its good for Beale to have some belief thrown his way... He does have plenty of talent... He may only see the spring tour but thats still a great result for him and the tahs...