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Rathbone in World Cup waiting room
Rupert Guinness
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Wallabies coach John Connolly has virtually drawn a red line through the name of Clyde Rathbone on his list of players available for the World Cup.
Rathbone is still to confirm he must undergo surgery on a knee problem that forced him to withdraw from the 59-man Wallabies squad named in late May.
But Connolly is pessimistic about the Brumbies winger and holder of 26 Test caps being able to recuperate in time.
"He hung off [surgery] to try and get back on the field. But he is not going to make it. I believe he will go under the knife," Connolly said yesterday.
Connolly and Rathbone are still waiting for a complete diagnosis from Wallabies doctor Martin Raftery. But even if surgery is not required, Connolly said it would be very difficult for Rathbone to complete rehabilitation, regain match fitness and impress for selection.
Meanwhile, Connolly yesterday forecasted little change in his back-line combination for the second Tri Nations Test, which doubles as the first Bledisloe Cup clash, against the All Blacks in Melbourne on Saturday week.
"We got what we wanted out of our first three Tests … to rotate our squad of 30 players, which we did," he said. "The goal for the Tri Nations is [to keep the combinations] pretty stable."
The coach also defended the limited game time he gave his two remaining reserves in a bench of five forwards and two backs in last Saturday's Springboks Test.
Back-rower Stephen Hoiles had only 90 seconds, while centre Adam Ashley-Cooper had even less than a minute on the field.
Of Hoiles' cameo, Connolly said: "You have to hold one forward back in case of injury. Now, yes, I should have put Hoiles on three or four minutes earlier. But I didn't. We had [four bench] players already out there. What would have happened had we had an injury? We would have been in big trouble."
Asked if he planned on keeping Hoiles as his last option from the reserves bench, Connolly said: "It just depends on the circumstances."
As for Ashley-Cooper's brief spell, Connolly said he only came on because outside-centre Stirling Mortlock had cramps.
Connolly is also keeping the World Cup captaincy close to his chest, despite admitting he had a view on it. "I think in my heart I have a fair idea," he said.
Asked if Gregan was his first choice now that he had settled back into the No.9 slot, Connolly replied: "You never know. Stirling did a good job on the weekend and Phil Waugh is a tough customer. And there is one other option there."
Connolly even indicated a shared captaincy might stay in place for the World Cup.
Asked if he was aiming at one-man leadership, he replied: "Not necessarily. We haven't decided."
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