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Terrible news coming out of Queensland but the door opens for Shepherd and Mitchell.
Latham's Cup in tatters
Sportal
Wallabies fullback Chris Latham's World Cup preparations are in tatters after preliminary scans revealed he has torn both his anterior cruciate and medial ligaments.
Latham suffered the injury in a training session on Saturday and his worst fears have been confirmed with the strong likelihood he will undergo a knee reconstruction in the next few weeks.
It is a massive blow for both the Wallabies and the Reds. He will consult a specialist on Wednesday and should he undergo the operation, he would miss the entire Super 14 season, and the World Cup in France and Wales, which starts in September.
Latham has played in the past two World Cups in 1999 and 2003, and was awarded the John Eales Medal in 2006. He has represented Australia 72 times.
He has been one of the Reds' most dominant players of the decade, winning the Super 12 Player of the Year award three times and playing 80 times for Queensland and 10 times for New South Wales.
Latham in doubt for World Cup
ABC
Wallabies full-back Chris Latham could be forced to miss this year's World Cup in France after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his knee at a Queensland Reds' training session on Saturday.
Latham requires a knee reconstruction and has been ruled out of the entire Super 14 season.
Wallabies coach John Connolly said although Latham faced a lengthy rehabilitation, he was still hopeful the 31-year-old would be available for the World Cup.
"We haven't got the full picture yet," he said.
"He's seeing Peter Morris, a specialist, again on Wednesday but yes he has to have his ACL done and it is very disappointing.
"We have got six months, so we have to make sure we find the best rehab for him and get him back on deck but these things do take time."
Connolly said he would be requesting an explanation from the Reds as to how the injury occurred.
"We're going to ask for a report out of Queensland how it happened cause he was in the 22 RPA group supposedly staying out of all contact," he said.
"It happened on Saturday the day after he'd had a three-day camp at the AIS with us. We've got to get a full report out of it to understand exactly what happened."
Major injury to Latham in training
Monday, January 8, 2007
Rugby Heaven
Australia's World Cup prospects have been dealt a shattering blow due to a serious knee injury to Wallabies fullback Chris Latham.
Preliminary scans have found Latham tore both his anterior cruciate and medial ligaments at Queensland Reds training on Saturday.
The Reds say early reports indicate Latham will require a knee reconstruction and will be out for the entire Super 14 season.
Latham will visit a specialist on Wednesday.
AAP
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well this means a force player sheps or mitchell get a start?
Originally Posted by frontrow
CHEERLEADERS ROCK!!! 
