All Black Cory Jane’s run of bad luck took another twist as he suffered a compound dislocation of his finger at the weekend, which has put a cloud of uncertainty over his All Black prospects.
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“It’s been a funny year – surely my luck has got to change soon,” said Jane after joining the All Blacks on Monday in Dunedin.
New Zealand play Fiji in a Test at Carisbrook on Friday.
The All Black selectors will decide on Tuesday whether to bring in an extra player. Jane was one of three outside backs named as injury cover – with Sitiveni Sivivatu and Ben Smith.
Jane mangled his finger when attempting to tackle Kurt Baker at the weekend. The ring finger of his left hand got caught in Baker’s jersey.
“Damn it … bone came out of my finger,” Jane said on the social networking site Twitter. A serious dislocation was later confirmed.
All Black assistant coach Steve Hansen made it clear no chances would be taken and that it wouldn’t be fair on the fringe threequarter to put him out there if he was not able to deliver the performance he’s being challenged to produce.
The 28-year-old missed the main 30-strong Tri-Nations squad but was included among a quartet of replacement players covering for injury.
Coach Graham Henry said Jane and fellow fringe-dweller Sitiveni Sivivatu had not produced the form they were capable of during the Super Rugby season, but could still push for World Cup inclusion.
Jane’s ring finger was still tender and in a splint on Monday and he conceded his road back had just got steeper.
Despite the grisly dislocation (a picture of which was posted on Twitter, and subsequently removed), Jane said it had taken a while for him to feel the extent of the damage.
“It didn’t hurt,” he said at the All Blacks hotel in Central Dunedin. “I tried to make a couple more tackles after that, and it wasn’t till the doctor came on and I started to have a bit of cry that he tried to click it in said I’ve got to go into hospital.
“It wasn’t till I got in the changing-room when it started to hurt a little bit. It was just frustration that my bad luck continues.”
Jane conceded that he could ill afford to have time on the sideline given his current status.
“I guess that’s what the frustrating thing is,” added Jane.
“With guys coming back from injury, my chances to show them I can still play the game at this level, to go out and do this makes it a bit more slim.
“We’ll see how it goes at training but I’m hopeful I’m all good and can put my hand up for this week.”