The latest news on the INJURY front in Super Rugby (apart from those reported already) is as follows:
Waratahs:
Berrick Barnes will not be available for his showdown with Melbourne Rebels star James O’Connor at inside centre this weekend.
Barnes missed the Waratahs’ opening clash against the Reds, which ended in late heartbreak for the Sydney team as the Reds snatched a last-second victory, and there were high hopes that he would return to bolster them against the Rebels this weekend.
However, the injury-prone Wallaby playmaker pulled up with a sore groin at training on Tuesday and as a result will not be available to take on O’Connor and his new teammates in Melbourne on Friday.
Sharks:
The Sharks have received further bad news on the injury front when eightman Ryan Kankowski was ruled out for at least a month due to a broken thumb.
Kankowski is the eight Sharks player to suffer some sort of injury at the start of the Super Rugby season.
It is reported that Kankowski will undergo an operation on Wednesday morning.
In more Sharks news Willem Alberts hasn’t made it in time to be ready for this week, but Tera (Lubabalo) Mtembu has done pretty well in the pre-season, so he gets a chance on the bench.
Stormers:
Schalk Burger will be out until at least week 8 of the competition with a medial knee ligament injury.
Deon Fourie is out for 6 weeks with a broken bone in his hand.
Reds:
Scott Higginbotham (gluteus muscle) and Anthony Faingaa (hamstring) will miss the game for the Reds through injury after starring in last Saturday’s 25-21 win over the NSW Waratahs.
Faingaa will miss Saturday’s contest after suffering a slight hamstring strain against the Waratahs, while Higginbotham, who celebrated his 50th cap for Queensland and in Super Rugby in dynamic fashion last week, hasn’t been considered for selection after straining his gluteus muscle during Tuesday’s training session at Ballymore.
Hooker James Hanson has been chosen on the bench after overcoming an ankle injury he sustained in the final minute of the Waratahs success.
The Reds bench also has a further two new faces with backrower Eddie Quirk and winger Rod Davies in line to make their first Super Rugby appearance of 2012, Davies (hamstring) having overcome a preseason injury.
Crusaders:
The Crusaders have been forced to make a late change to their Super Rugby team to play the Highlanders this weekend.
Ryan Crotty’s previously injured hamstring has tightened up recently so as a precautionary measure he has been pulled from the team for the match against the Highlanders.
Adam Whitelock takes his place at centre and Patrick Osborne comes on to the bench.
Highlanders:
The Highlanders’ flyhalf stocks are running short early in the season, with Colin Slade still unavailable and Chris Noakes in doubt for Saturday’s match against the Crusaders.
Noakes put in a good performance against the Chiefs in Round One, but is nursing an ankle complaint he picked up in the 23-19 victory last weekend.
The Dunedin side’s first choice playmaker Slade is fit to play, but coach Jamie Joseph is unwilling to risk his star No.10 before he is ready for the rigours of Super Rugby.
That leaves Lima Sopoaga as the front runner for the No.10 jersey for a tough match against the Crusaders, who are without their own star flyhalf, Dan Carter.
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