Will Genia in doubt for Bledisloe after injury scare

[Alex]

A second training collision in three days puts jinxed Wallabies halfback Will Genia in doubt for Saturday night's Tri Nations decider against the All Blacks.

In a major scare, Genia will have to wait to be given the green light by team medics on Friday after copping another head knock, this time from reserve lock Rob Simmons, in Australia's Thursday training session at Ballymore.

The influential No.9, regarded by former Wallabies captain and new Hall of Fame inductee Paul McLean as nigh on irreplaceable, believes he "should be fine" but was left seething after his latest mishap.

Despite both wearing non-contact bibs, Queensland Reds teammates Genia and Simmons ran straight into each other as they chased a high kick in one of the last plays of training.

The suspected concussion concern comes just two days after another towering Reds forward, Radike Samo, split Genia's head open and left him dazed after charging into him in another highly-physical session.

Losing Genia would be a massive blow for Australia who are looking to end a decade-long Tri Nations drought at Suncorp Stadium.

Not only is the 23-year-old the Wallabies attacking general, Genia's back-up Luke Burgess has not played for two months due to a broken hand.



Burgess has been back on the Australia bench for their last two Tests but has not seen a minute of action as coach Robbie Deans kept Genia on the field.

[Alex]

Coach or anyone else who knows, how do I make the image come up on the screen with the text, rather than an attached thumbnail? (sorry, I'm new here)

[Alex]

now he is playing...thank the lord


Wallabies halfback Will Genia has brushed off talk that he will miss Saturday night's Tri Nations decider, declaring he is fit and ready to face the All Blacks.

Genia left Thursday's training session early after copping his second head knock in as many days, sparking speculation that he may be rested with the World Cup just weeks away.


"I think a lot has been made of it but it's not something's that too serious," Genia told reporters on Friday.

"I got a bit of a head knock on Tuesday and I felt a bit foggy at training yesterday and then pulled out towards the end just because I did feel a bit off.


"But I feel like I'm good to go and I'm looking forward to playing."

Genia copped his second head knock, from reserve lock Rob Simmons, in Australia's Thursday training session at Ballymore.

Despite both wearing non-contact bibs, Queensland Reds teammates Genia and Simmons ran straight into each other as they chased a high kick in one of the last plays of training.

The collision came just two days after another towering Reds forward, Radike Samo, split Genia's head open and left him dazed after charging into him in another highly-physical session.

Genia will be crucial to Australia's chances of claiming the Tri Nations at Suncorp Stadium, which would be the first time they've won the tournament since 2001.

The selection of scrum half Piri Weepu in the All Blacks side indicates New Zealand are more than aware of Genia's influence.

Weepu's only two Test starts this season have been against the Wallabies, a fair pointer to how they think they can defeat Australia.

Genia is the one player in the Wallabies side who genuinely worries the New Zealanders. The All Blacks' coaches have made a study of his game and, moreover, have had their halfbacks study him as well.

Weepu seems to have learned the most although, to hear All Blacks head coach Graham Henry's assessment of the Hurricanes No 9, that's not surprising.

"I think Piri has the ability to see the situation and react accordingly," said Henry.

"He has always been a good student of the game.

"He is the type of player who can sit on the bench and at half-time come up with some solutions to winning the game, which is pretty special."

So while Henry appears to target the combative Jimmy Cowans against the Springboks, it is the wily, wide-hipped Weepu he unleashes against the Wallabies, to devastating effect in the recent Auckland Test, where the 27-year-old triggered an early try with a darting blindside run from a scrum.

It was no surprise then when Weepu conceded he was now well across Genia's game.

"I've done a lot of homework over the years on Will, and I know what he's capable of," Weepu told The Australian.

"The biggest challenge is to try to shut him down, I guess.

"He's pretty good at sniping around the ruck and creating opportunities so I guess if you take that away from him, all he can do is pass and kick.

"So you've got to try to take his running game away and make sure he doesn't have a big influence on the outcome of the game."

In Cowan, the Crusaders' scrumhalf Andy Ellis and Weepu, the All Blacks have three halfbacks that are the envy of most other sides but the fact Weepu has been given the starting role in the last Test before the World Cup suggests he has edged in front of his two rivals.

[Buddha Handy]

I would say that Genia and Pocock would be the two players in our team that are pretty much irreplaceable.

[kipper_mckinnon]

I would say that Genia and Pocock would be the two players in our team that are pretty much irreplaceable.

and Giteau. oh......

[hertryk]

and Sharpie....oh!....Hmmm