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Replacement dilemma for Connolly
1/10/2007 12:13:54 PM
Sportal
Wallabies coach John Connolly admits he has a selection dilemma in replacing injured No.8 David Lyons in his World Cup squad.
Lyons broke his left leg in Saturday's 37-6 win over Canada and will not play any further part in the World Cup. The Wallabies can replace Lyons, but Connolly said he would not necessarily select a forward to make the trip while there was still a doubt over fly-half Stephen Larkham.
"It's possible it won't be a forward, it may be an inside back," he said. "The reason for that is that we're very hopeful that Stephen Larkham, if we progress further in the tournament, will be available after the quarter-finals. We'll probably bring an inside back as just as a back up for that, if it didn't happen."
Kurtley Beale is the man most likely to benefit from a decision to go with an inside back rather than a direct replacement for Lyons. But Connolly said that he had to weigh up whether the player who came in was experienced enough to step straight into a World Cup semi-final.
"I guess the decision to make on that if is you brought a 10 in, it would probably be Kurtley Beale, then you ask yourself the question, is he the one who would step into a semi-final or a final? Or are you better served by moving Matt Giteau in and bringing a 12 in. I suppose that's the thing we'll probably vacillate over," he said. (Can we PLEASE stop moving Gits around...let him do what he does best ffs)
If Connolly does decide to go with an inside centre, the man most likely is Morgan Turinui, who has been performing well in the Mazda Australian Rugby Championships.
In good news for the Wallabies, Nathan Sharpe will be free to play on Saturday after being cleared of an elbow injury.
Lyons, meanwhile, faces a tough recovery, with team doctor Martin Raftery saying there was a danger of deep vain thrombosis, which Lyons has already suffered from earlier this year.
"We've got to control that bleeding and swelling, while at the same time getting him back on to his DVT treatment. Otherwise he's gonna redevelop that clot, and that'll will cause a complication. So it's a balance between mobilising him to stop him from getting the clot, but immobilising him for his fracture," he said.