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Larkham to be fit for semis
September 16, 2007
AUSTRALIA five-eighth Stephen Larkham will be available for the Rugby World Cup semi-finals after undergoing knee surgery in France.
Larkham had floating material cleaned out from behind his right kneecap during the arthroscopy in Montpellier where he'll remain in hospital until Monday.
The exploratory surgery confirmed there was no new injury to the 102-Test veteran and team medic Dr Martin Raftery believed he would need at least three weeks on the sideline.
Wallabies spokesman Michael Earsman said Larkham would definitely be available for the October 13 semi-final, probably against the All Blacks, in Paris if Australia progressed that far.
Earsman said there was even a best-case possibility he could play the October 6 quarter-final, likely to be against England, in Marseille.
It is a slight relief for Australia who initially feared the worst after Larkham aggravated the chronic knee injury in kicking practice on Friday and then it locked up again that night.
The blow ruled him out of the 32-20 pool win over Wales at Millennium Stadium, where rookie playmaker Berrick Barnes enjoyed an outstanding starting debut.
But Barnes's impressive form and doubts over Larkham's fitness will leave the Wallabies selectors with a major quandary heading into the play-off stages.
Barnes will get two more chances to get better acquainted with the No.10 hot seat when he starts against Fiji in Montpellier next Sunday and Canada in Bordeaux on September 29.
Larkham said the injury flare up occurred due to overdoing his extra kicking practice.
"It was actually feeling really good and it was starting to getting better and better," he said after watching the Wallabies score a 32-20 win over Wales.
"But I probably started to push it too hard with the kicking this week, and in particular field goals."
"I had a pretty big session on Wednesday and then I backed it up with a pretty big kicking session for me on a captain's run day (Friday). "One of the kicks just twinged it."
Larkham had hoped he could get back for the Canada match and play 20 minutes off the bench to prove himself right for the quarter-final but the surgery has ruled that out.
AAP