Round 5 Injury Update

[Burgs]

It's a bit of a chore going through all the media to find injury updates so don't expect this regularly however, in light of Eddies whinings etc, here is the state of play for the injury list around Australia that I am able to determine.
Happy to update if others know of injuries or time frames that I have missed:

Force
Lachlan MacKay 3 Weeks
Luke Doherty 3 Weeks
Nathan Sharpe Test

Brumbies
Al Campbell 7-8 Weeks
Daniel Heenan
Stephen Larkham 3 Weeks
Clyde Rathbone
Stirling Mortlock Test

Reds
Greg Holmes 5-6 Months
Chris Latham 4-5 Months
Gavin Warren Indefinite
Ben Coutts 4 Weeks
Clinton Schifcofske 4 Weeks
Sam Cordingley 2 Weeks
Stephen Moore 1 Week
Hugh McMeniman 1 Week
Anthony Mathison 1 Week
Andrew Brown Test/1 Week
Henari Veratau Test/1 Week
Peter Hynes Test
Tom McVerry Test
Nic Berry Test

Waratahs
Phil Waugh 10-12 Weeks
Daniel Vickerman 10 Weeks
Al Kanaar ?
Matt Dunning ?
Tatafu Polota-Nau 1 Week

[Burgs]

About to go from bad to worse for the celler dwellers

Rodzilla facing surgery

By Jim Morton
March 05, 2007

QUEENSLAND'S injury crisis deepened dramatically today with the news that Reds and Australia prop Rodney Blake is to undergo surgery next week that will end his Super 14 campaign.

Blake, who has been carrying an ankle injury, has been ordered to have a bone spur removed in an operation that will sideline him for up to 10 weeks.

The 130kg tight head will take on the Highlanders in Dunedin on Friday night before going under the knife next Tuesday.

He will become the third Reds prop to have surgery in a week.

The surgeries will leave the Reds without any of their five contracted props for the second half of the Super 14, as Anthony Mathison is still recovering from a neck operation and Pete Nuimata has left the squad.

Wallabies loose head Greg Holmes today underwent shoulder surgery that is set to sideline him until August, while back-up Ben Coutts is set for a shoulder operation after dislocating the joint twice in a week.

The Reds' shocking injury toll now numbers 11 of their top 22 players.

The front-row problems have seen the Queensland Rugby Union hastily recruit Ernest Skelton, who was banned from rugby league last decade for striking a touch judge.

The reformed Skelton played for the Reds in the Australian Provincial Championship last September, and he has performed strongly for Brisbane club side Wests this season.

Skelton, 29, has been rushed into a 23-man squad that will fly out for Dunedin tomorrow morning.

He is expected to on the bench behind Blake and Herman Hunt.

Skelton was included after the QRU was unable to convince the Australian Rugby Union to issue a special exemption allowing Queensland to recruit former Hurricanes prop Tama Tuirirangi.

Tuirirangi, who trained with the Reds last week, has played for Gold Coast for the past two seasons, but the New Zealander doesn't qualify for selection by an Australian Super 14 side under the strict ARU eligibility guidelines.

Former Western Force tight head David Te Moana is the next cab off the rank for the Reds, and he could start against his former side as Blake's replacement in Perth on Friday week.
(Must have come home from NZ after the NPC?)
AAP

[jazza93]

wow lots of injueries and now maybe the nz rugby decision to not let all blacks play is working maybe they were right. i hope not because then we are screwed.

i feel sorry for the reds they are the worst hit hope all of the players on tests come through for them. i cant beleive they will also lose rodney blake as well.

o well at least the force are doing ok we have plenty of players to cover the injurd ones. all that matters is that shape comes through

[Thequeerone]

13 Reds out of 33 - no wonder Eddie is losing his marbles

[Burgs]

Or maybe it's the other way around TQ1?
Cause and effect

[Thequeerone]

LOL

[Burgs]

Tom McVerry-Test as well....

[Mambo No. 5]

I would love to do a comparison between the Reds injury list and the Forces' the same time last year. Then compare what is coming out of Jones' mouth compared to what Mitchell was saying last year....

Would be interesting comparison I bet!

[frontrow]

Mambo, that is exactly what i have been saying too, maybe burgs is having a quite day and can look into this for us, but i think Mitch handled the hand he was dealt a lot better than that useless tosser eddie....

[hatchie]

Staniforth has a knee injury and is in also in doubt for the Hurricanes. What is wrong with Doherty?

Also, MacKay has recovered from the groin surgery, but pulled his hammy last week - expected to miss another 3-4 weeks. More bad luck.

[Burgs]

Doherty did his "groin" in Sydney Hatchie.
Will look into it frontrow.

[prop53]

looks good for our front row getting a look in with the Wallibies

[AndyS]

Handy reference site:
http://www.injuryupdate.com.au/rugby.php