Giteau injured in rugby return

[NewsBot]

Giteau injured in rugby return

Matt Giteau's quest to return to the Australian rugby union team ahead of next weekend's Tri-Nations clash with New Zealand has suffered a setback with the inside centre injuring his thumb while playing a club game in Canberra today.

[Burgs]

[Jess]

i just read that on my way home from work. well at least it takes the pressure off for knuckles. and if rogers injurers himself (which is more than likely) stanners should get a run on!
maybe its not such bad news after all. well.. here's hoping

[Burgs]

If he is out for too much of the Tri Nations then we may also find him lining up in the APC to get some match fitness in time for the Spring Tour!
Latest is a dislocation rather than a fracture so would imagine he will only miss a couple of weeks but will still have only played half a match since his knee op.

[Jess]

he said his knee was feeling good though so it's not all bad news.
i've never dislocated a thumb myself... what is the general recovery time? is it pretty certain he'll be out for next sat?

[Burgs]

Depends on how much they want to jab it I think Jess.
With strapping it won't get any worse however it is just a matter of playing with/through the pain or with painkillers.
If you get one hand and squeeze the thumb joint as hard as you can with the other then that's probably what he'll be feeling by next weekend!
He also may have issue with the webbing between the thumb and forefinger too depending on how it dislocated.

[Jess]

doesn't sound too good...
and now my thumb hurts... i think i squeezed a little too hard.
Not a good idea to take what you said literally i guess. hehe.

[Burgs]

Giteau 'fit' for Bledisloe

By Peter Badel
July 2, 2006

MATT Giteau is confident he'll overcome a hand injury he suffered yesterday and be fit for next week's Bledisloe Cup showdown in Christchurch

Australian rugby's highest paid player dislocated his thumb during a guest appearance for Queanbeyan Whites in Canberra.

Giteau damaged his right hand making a regulation tackle on a Gungahlin opponent in the 33rd minute, but an X-ray last night cleared him of any fracture.

He will return to Wallabies camp at Coffs Harbour today and be assessed by team doctor Warren McDonald tomorrow.

A dejected Giteau, who was making a comeback from surgery on his right knee, lamented his ill-fortune last night.

"I've never been more frustrated. It's pretty sore at the moment," said Giteau, who left a bitterly cold Nicholls Oval with his hand wrapped in ice.

"I just wanted to play. To go out there and get injured again ... I need X-rays on my thumb but hopefully it's not too bad."

Asked if the injury would rule him out for the Bledisloe clash, Giteau said: "I don't know. I broke my middle finger in a trial with the Brumbies and I was out for three weeks so hopefully it's nothing like that.

"Hopefully it's just a dislocation. I know people play with them all the time so hopefully it's only minor."

Wallabies coach John Connolly recommended the hitout to assess Giteau's selection claims for the 22-man Test squad to face the All Blacks.

The Western Force recruit looked sharp early but his cameo turned to disaster when the small crowd heard a popping sound as Giteau attempted a tackle on halfway.

The 23-year-old tried to shake off the injury, only to be replaced in pain in the 35th minute clutching his right hand.

"I thought it went straight back in out there, but then the doctor said it wasn't so he had to put it in. He popped another part and that hurt a bit more," Giteau said.

"I planned to play 30 minutes but that extra five minutes really cost me - I'm disappointed about that. The knee felt fine.

"I was able to step and run and felt a lot of confidence in my knee that I could do everything I wanted to do."

Giteau conceded it would be difficult to crack the Wallabies starting side as Mat Rogers makes the most of his absence at inside centre.

"The side is going well. To put myself back in contention would be nice," he said.

"They've been playing really well so that's the focus of mine, just trying to get back in that squad of 22, but obviously it's tough if I'm injured.

"It's going to be tough to get back in there."


The Sunday Telegraph