LYONS OUT OF BLEDISLOE WITH DVT

[no.8]

Qantas Wallabies Number 8 David Lyons has been ruled out of Saturday night’s deciding Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup Test with Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT).

Wallabies Team Doctor Martin Raftery diagnosed a blood clot in Lyons’ left calf muscle after the 27-year-old had experienced swelling after completing this morning’s team training session in Auckland.

“David had experienced some minor swelling in the calf at training earlier in the week but it hadn’t settled down as we’d hoped it would,” said Doctor Raftery.

“After it happened again today we decided to conduct some further investigations,” he said.

Raftery said that while all cases of DVT must be treated seriously, the position of the clot in Lyons’ leg made his case less threatening.

“There is some element of danger in all cases of DVT but in David’s case the clot is below the knee, which is not considered as dangerous as having one in the arm or in the leg above the knee.”

Lyons’ place in the starting lineup for Saturday night’s Test will be taken by Stephen Hoiles, who was originally named on the reserves bench. Hoiles’ place on the bench has been filled by travelling reserve Mark Chisholm.

Lyons has been placed on medication to treat the illness and will visit a haematologist in Sydney early next week.

Lyons will remain with the squad in Auckland and will return to Sydney with the team on Sunday morning.

The revised Qantas Wallabies team list for Saturday night’s Test is as follows:

QANTAS WALLABIES v NEW ZEALAND

Saturday 21 July 2007

Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand

Kick off: 7.35pm local, 5.35pm AEST

1. Matt Dunning
2. Stephen Moore
3. Guy Shepherdson
4. Nathan Sharpe
5. Dan Vickerman
6. Rocky Elsom
7. George Smith (vc)
8. Stephen Hoiles
9. George Gregan
10. Stephen Larkham
11. Drew Mitchell
12. Matt Giteau
13. Stirling Mortlock (c)
14. Mark Gerrard
15. Adam Ashley-Cooper

16. Adam Freier
17. Al Baxter
18. Hugh McMeniman
19. Mark Chisholm
20. Phil Waugh (vc)
21. Scott Staniforth
22. Chris Latham

23rd man: Sam Cordingley.

[The Lone Hydrangea]

Incredible! Hoiles has been given a golden opportunity. Lets hope he does us proud.

[inactive]

feel sorry for lyons bad luck

[gustafsl]

Good.

He's useless, shouldn't have even been selected in the first place.

[lmaag]

Jeez, a bit harsh there.

[JediKnight]

The things Hoiles will do to get a starting place (which he deserves!)....first Palu & his shoulder & now Lyons with his DVT!!!!

Conspiracy theory?

I think we should be told!!!

[gustafsl]

Jeez, a bit harsh there.

Yeah I know. I'm not glad he's injured, just glad he isn't playing. He didn't deserve to be in there. They just change random players for the sake of changing. What did Hoiles do wrong to justify Lyons getting the start? Connolly would probably make up some kind of excuse that he needed to get match time in case they needed him in the World Cup but that's crap. It's the last game before the World Cup, too late to try out new players. And if that's his philosophy for one position why have none of the other positions (except hooker) been rotated??

[Burgs]

I think it is horses for courses.
I would suggest that Knuckles wanted to go in with a bit of a battering ram to combat the AB's large back three and for that style of player you can't go past Lyons, especially with Palu out.
With Hoiles playing instead I am sure there will be a tweaking of the game plan as he is not capable of doing the same job as Lyons/Palu (or Tawake) and the Wallaby Backrow will be playing a much more mobile style because of it.
I'm not sure what Lyons has done in some peoples eyes to cope the flack that he does, he is still the best Australian power Number 8 by a mile for mine, he has just been coming back from injury having played injured for the previous four seasons! You certainly couldn't find a man with a bigger heart for the job.

[Burgs]

In my view the match turned out to be perfectly suited to having Lyons as the #8.
The weather conditions dictated that another battering ram was required to get the ball going forward.
Sharpey battled manfully for sixty minutes although it would seem the first half barrage took its toll as he went missing for the first twenty of the second half.
Dunning played to his ability and made some satisfactory gains but at the end of the day we needed a fast big option off the back rather than a light ball player.
With 20-20 hindsight I wonder if Knuckles may well wish he had put Jone Tawake on the same plane from Australia as Rodney Blake?

[lmaag]

I agree with that Burgs. As you said horses for courses and I think it was a course for a #8 hitting the ball up close to the ruck.