The latest news on the INJURY front in Super Rugby (apart from those reported already) is as follows:
Sharks:
Ross Skeate has been a revelation for the Sharks in the first three games of the season, and has probably been their best lock in the opening stanza of the competition. However, Skeate was forced to leave the field early during the 32-20 win over the Lions with a hip flexor injury that is expected to keep him from facing the Reds.
In the normal course of events a Skeate injury wouldn’t be a train smash. Alistair Hargreaves is a Springbok and a former national age-group captain who is regarded as one of the better middle of the lineout jumpers around. However Hargreaves, like bulky flanker Jean Deysel, is still two weeks away from being ready to return to Super Rugby.
Blues:
Blues loose forward Jerome Kaino will miss the rest of the 2012 Super Rugby season as he will have surgery on his shoulder this week ruling him out of rugby for six months.
Kaino injured his shoulder playing for the Blues in Round 2 against the Chiefs and stayed in New Zealand while his team-mates are on tour in South Africa.
All Black world cup winner Kaino received a direct blow to his shoulder during the game but continued to play thinking it would settle as he has had a recurring shoulder issue which he has managed successfully so far.
However this did not happen and subsequent investigations revealed a piece of bone had been knocked off the shoulder joint.
A shoulder specialist has advised surgery which Kaino will have on Wednesday and this will keep him out of rugby for approximately six months.
Anthony Boric is suffering from a neck injury which means he will miss the clash against the Stormers, and is replaced by Filo Paulo.
Waratahs:
Waratahs flanker Pat McCutcheon will miss the rest of the Super Rugby season after having surgery dislocated and broken left ankle he injured playing against the Highlanders.
The injury is a major blow for 24-year-old McCutcheon as in the last two seasons he has overcome a slipped disc in his back, syndesmosis and a calf tear and was hoping to make a name for himself in Phil Waugh’s No. 7 jumper this year.
Instead he will miss the season and he comes off contract at the end of the year so no one knows when he will be back.
Drew Mitchell has revealed that he will miss the rest of the regular Super Rugby season and the June Internationals in 2012.
Mitchell has been struggling with an ongoing ankle injury which has kept him out of the Waratahs Super rugby so far this season.
The Wallabies winger had already ruled himself out of the first few months of the Super Rugby season but has been forced to extend his time on the sidelines after he saw a specialist in Melbourne on Thursday.
Lions:
The foot injury that Elton Jantjies picked up in training, and which kept him out of the Sharks clash last weekend is more serious than first thought.
He is now expected to be out for another 4 weeks.
Further bad news is that centre Alwyn Hollenbach injured his hamstring early in the clash against the Sharks in Durban and could be sidelined for up to three weeks.
Luckily for the Lions they have a bye this weekend but they have a tough schedule ahead in the coming weeks with several frontline players out injured.
Jantjies and prop Pat Cilliers (stomach bug) pulled out of the Sharks clash last Friday after initially being named in the team.
Cilliers’s withdrawal before the Sharks game was a big blow, considering that they had already lost JC Janse van Rensburg (six weeks) and CJ van der Linde (three to four weeks) due to injuries.
Other players already on the injury list include: Loose forward/lock Wikus van Heerden (concussion), hooker Bandise Maku (shoulder), centre Dylan des Fountain (knee), lock Michael Rhodes (knee) and wing Lionel Mapoe (hamstring).
Brumbies:
Brumbies flyhalf Matt Toomua, who suffered a medial knee ligament injury in the game against the Cheetahs last Saturdayhas been ruled out with a injury for 4 weeks.
Highlanders:
The Highlanders have suffered another injury set back as their young first five Lima Sopoaga’s shoulder injury is worse than initially suspected.
Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph has revealed that Sopoaga cracked his scapula and will be out of Super Rugby for two months.
(This Article is a Multi-Author Article, so Rugby-Talk Authors kindly update with more news… just be careful to note when someone else is busy editing – there should be a message right at the top, warning about it if someone is busy)