Super Rugby 2019 is here! Round 1 flew by and the away teams almost had it all their own way. With so many new faces taking the field this year it has never been more important to know exactly what each teams injuries are.
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New Injuries Rd 1:
Atu Moli (Chiefs) - Pulled pre-game with an elbow injury. Will be out for 4-5 weeks.
Shaun Stevenson (Chiefs) - Limped off with a leg or back injury. We understand that he has been cleared for round 2.
Brad Weber (Chiefs) - Concussion, needed to hold on to the doctor to walk off. Won't play in round 2.
Brodie Retallick (Chiefs) - Concussion from a high shoulder by Sio Tomkinson. We understand that he has been cleared for round 2.
Angus Ta'avao (Chiefs) - Away on leave. Apparently not injured!
Tim Perry (Crusaders) - Looks like he has broken his forearm. Expect him to be out for six weeks. Source here.
James Marshall (Hurricanes) - Confirmed to have dislocated his shoulder. Will be out for a fair while. Source here.
Ardie Savea (Hurricanes) - Had a minor MCL sprain on the inside of his knee. Rested for round 2. Source here.
David Pocock (Brumbies) - Concussion within the first few minutes of the season. Likely to miss Rd 2 and potentially even round 3. Source here.
Toni Pulu (Brumbies) - Fractured his cheek. Went straight to hospital for surgery and is expected to miss a good chunk of the season, I'd expect 6 weeks. Source here.
Henry Speight (Brumbies) - Looks like a hip pointer. Limped off but looked minor. Apparently he is still in doubt to play Rd 2. Source here.
Sekope Kepu (Waratahs) - Took a blow to the neck and was in a fair bit of discomfort. Cleared for Round 2. Source here.
Adam Ashley-Cooper (Waratahs) - Took a head knock on the final whistle, will travel with the team but won't play this week.
Rene Ranger (Sunwolves) - Did his ACL trying to step off his right leg in rd 1. Gone for the season.
Gonzalo Bertranou (Jaguares) - Dislocated his shoulder and is having an operation on the 22nd of February. No return date has been set, but generally it is a five month lay off (mid July at the earliest). Source here.
Dan du Preez (Sharks) - Came off with what looked like some grumbly back pain. I'd be surprised if it made him miss a game with how well he was moving.
Dillyn Leyds (Stormers) - Injured and unavailable for rd 2. Not sure what he has done. Source here.
Salmaan Moerat (Stormers) - Injured but no word on what he has done. Source here.
Schalk Brits (Bulls) - Finally succumbed to his calf injury which was meant to rule him out for rd 1. Named to play in round 2 but apparently he is not a sure thing. Source here.
Siya Kolisi (Stormers) - Heavy concussion, failed his HIA.
Marnus Schoeman (Lions) - Limped off after 78 minutes. We think it was cramp but we aren't sure.
Johnny Kotze (Bulls) - Out of round 2 with illness. Source here.
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Likely back for this week (Rd 2):
Matt Proctor (Hurricanes) - Pulled from the Waratah's game pre match. Apparently he did not fly to Sydney due to illness.
Damian McKenzie (Chiefs) – Ankle injury. Not serious but they decided to give him the extra week to recover. He will be back in Rd 2. Source here.
Liam Polwart (Chiefs) – Had a preseason concussion and was being monitored as of the 5th Feb. Who knows with these injuries, but we expect him back for Rd 2. Source here.
Kurtley Beale (Waratahs) - Rested in Round 1. Back for round 2.
Le Roux Roets (Waratahs) – Hit hard and came off looking dazed in the trial against the Brumbies. Source here.
Lausii Taliauli (Brumbies) – Came off after landing heavily on his knee in the trial against the Waratahs on the 7th of Feb. Hoping to be right for Rd 2. Source here.
Stephan Lewies (Lions) – Pec muscle injury, could be right for rd 2. Source here.
Marius Louw (Lions) – Missed rd 1 after originally being listed as "in doubt".
Kwagga Smith (Lions) – Missed rd 1 with a calf strain. Fit for rd 2. Source here.
Curwin Bosch (Sharks) - Ruled out of Rd 1 with a shoulder injury. Should be fit for round 2. Source here.
Marius Louw (Sharks) - Fit again for rd 2. Source here.
Frans Malherbe (Stormers) - Injured and missed Rd 1. In the frame for selection for Rd 2. Source here.
Cobus Wiese (Stormers) – Took a head knock in preseason, apparently okay but considering his previous neck injury they decided to tread cautiously and rest him for round 1. Back doing full training Source here.
Sergeal Petersen (Stormers) - We didn't know he was injured, but apparently he was, and he is back in the selection frame :/ Source here.
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Ongoing Injury List:
NEW ZEALAND
All Blacks are expected to miss two weeks during the Super Rugby season, and only to play 180 minutes in the first 3 rounds.
All Blacks are also not meant to play 5 game weeks in a row.
Highlanders
Kalolo Tuiloma – The prop is unavailable due to injury. No more news yet. Source here.
Liam Squire - Unavailable with a hip injury as of round 2, should be back "in a few weeks". Source here.
Hurricanes
The Hurricanes in 2018 wouldn’t play anyone that isn’t fit to play fully on Monday of the game week.
Nehe Milner-Skudder – Injured his shoulder on November 3. “Still going to miss a few weeks yet”. Source here.
Sam Lousi – Torn his pec muscle, severity is not confirmed but it “won’t be short term”. I interpret this as meaning it is either a 6 week grade 2 tear, or he has ruptured it and is gone for the season. Source here.
Toby Smith - Pulled late from the final trial due to concussion. Not sure when he will be back. Source here.
Alex Fidow - Has a shoulder injury. Not sure how severe it is. Source here.
Beauden Barrett – Confirmed that he can miss the first 2 rounds as part of his contract, doesn't count as part of his two enforced All Blacks rest weeks. Source here.
Vaea Fifita (Hurricanes) - Suffered a minor hamstring tear in January meaning he hadn't done enough conditioning work. Playing in the development side in rd 2, should be right for the following week. Source here.
Chiefs
The Chiefs in 2018 – “There was a team policy this year to give injured players an extra week to ensure they were fully fit.”
Sam Cane – Fractured his neck against South Africa last year. Targeting a May return
Kane Hames – Still going through concussion protocols from last year, expected to play “very soon”, but no clear time line. Source here.
Solomon Alaimalo – Small wrist fracture from the trial on the 25th of Jan.
Will keep him sidelined for matches against the Reds (pre-season), Highlanders, Brumbies and Sunwolves Source here.
Marty McKenzie -about three weeks away from returning to the side after a hip operation. Should miss the first two weeks of Super Rugby. Source here.
Sean Wainui – Injured his wrist, should be back for rd 3 or 4. Source here. Thanks for the reference @Cornelius_Mybrg.
Luke Jacobson – was only cleared to return to contact in the first week of Feb following a head knock against the Hurricanes on July. Source here.
Jack Debreczeni – Has an abdominal strain, ruled out of rd 1 at least. Source here.
Crusaders
Sam Whitelock – The All Blacks have ordered him to miss the first month of the season. Source here.
Kieran Read – The All Blacks have ordered him to miss the first four weeks of the season as well. Source here.
Codie Taylor – Will miss the first game of the season. Source here.
Israel Dagg – Rehabbing his “troublesome”, arthritic knee. Doing everything he can to be available for selection but it sounds like he is well and truly up against it. Source here.
Blues
Blake Gibson – Rolled his ankle on the 26th of Jan against the Chiefs. Out for one month from this date, so I assume it is a grade 2 injury. Worst case it could be a couple weeks longer than that. Source here.
Jimmy Tupou – ACL reconstruction mid May 2018, “still working back from it”, standard rehab of 9 months would put him back around mid Feb, but that can vary a lot. Source here.
Jed Brown – Went off with a sore calf in the trial on the 25th of Jan. Doesn’t sound like much, but missed the trial and Rd 1 of the season.
Scott Scrafton – In rd 3 of 2018 year he did his ACL, LCL and ripped the tendon off the bone. Was told 9-12 months to return to play. His aim is to complete it in 10 months. This would be him back for rd 1, but he hasn’t played in the first two trials. Source here.
Stephen Perofeta – Preseason pec muscle injury, apparently he could be gone for 16 weeks! Season pretty much gone....
Matt Duffie – Hamstring tear
Leni Apisai – Neck
Ezekiel Lindenmuth – Knee
Sam Nock – Calf
Jacob Pierce – Ankle
Jordan Trainor – Thigh
AUSTRALIA
The Australian sides have reached a “handshake agreement” with Rugby Australia to rest their Wallabies throughout the year. Most likely one or two weeks, but it is worth knowing when comparing to last seasons efforts. Source here. Some reports suggest they could miss as much as 20% of the season. Source here.
Brumbies
Ben Hyne – Re-tore his ACL just before Christmas, will likely miss the full season. Source here.
Reds
James Tuttle – Ruptured his Achilles tendon in the NRC during late October last year. Recovery is an absolute minimum of 6 months, more likely 8-9 months (as per SBW and Slipper) which puts him at a return in May at the absolute earliest, more likely late June/ July. Probably his season gone! Source here.
Matt McGahan – Arrived at training before christmas with a broken leg. Not sure of the severity but it means he won’t start running until at least February, and probably will miss the start of the season. Source here.
Scott Higginbotham - Out of the round 2 with a shoulder niggle. Source here.
JP Smith - Has a knee injury, not sure how long he is out for. Source here.
Rebels
Reece Hodge – Fractured his ankle on the end of year tour, is hopeful of playing round 1, but will definitely be back in round 3, after the Rd 2 bye. Source here.
Adam Coleman – Has a calf tear from the Wallabies training camp. Source here.
Jordan Uelese – Still recovering from a knee reconstruction. Ruptured his ACL in June, a 9 month recovery therefore puts his return date around early March. Source here.
Matt Toomua – Playing for Leicester until at least the 18th of May. Won’t be back before round 15 at the earliest.
Waratahs
Michael Wells – Juggling 7s and Waratahs this year. He should play the Las Vegas (March 1-3) and Vancouver (March 9-10) stops on the world tour before he reverts to the Tahs for the bulk of the Super Rugby campaign. Thanks to an early Tahs bye, this means he should only miss three games for them. Source here.
Tom Robertson – ACL reconstruction (knee) in mid October. Will rule him out for 6-9 months (normally 9), so we could see him anywhere from mid April to mid July. Source here.
Lalakai Foketi – Came off in the trial against the Brumbies on the 7th of Feb with what looked like a hamstring injury. Out for up to a month. Source here.
Shambeckler Vui – Limped off the field in the final trial with a foot sprain and is likely to miss a few weeks. Source here.
Nick Phipps – Calf injury, expected to miss 2-3 rounds. Source here.
SOUTH AFRICA
Sharks
Jean-Luc du Preez – Injured his groin playing Gloucester in his short term deal with Sale Sharks just before the end of December. Should miss the first two months of the season! Source here.
Philip van der Walt – Going to miss the first two to three weeks. Source here.
Thomas du Toit – Pulled out from the Lions trial due to an ankle injury. Missed the final trial and rd 1. No word on a return yet.
Stormers
Ramone Samuels – Severe Knee injury in August of last year. No definite come back date yet. Source here.
Paul de Wet – Injured. Not sure what the scrum-half has done. Source here.
EW Viljoen – Having surgery for a stress fracture. Should be back in March. Source here.
Juarno Augustus - Injured. Stormer's still aren't sure if he will play in Rd 2. Source here.
Eben Etzebeth – Was expected to miss the first week or two as he gets back to full fitness from an off season injury. Still not available for rd 2. Source here.
Seabelo Senatla - Expected to be back for Rd 3 after dislocating his finger today (19th Feb). Source here.
Steven Kitshoff – Tore his hamstring in the last trial, didn't play rd 1, however no predicted recovery time has been made yet. There has been no word of a return for Rd 2 (unlike many of their other players), so he might miss a few more weeks yet.
Bulls
Travis Ismaiel – Was expected to have recovered from shoulder surgery for the start of the season but now needs a revision surgery which was originally meant to keep him out until mid May. Now reduced to the first four weeks of the season. Source here.
Jaco Visagie – Ankle injury required surgery. Originally meant to be out for eight weeks but that has been reduced to three or four, and now "close to full fitness". Source here.
Jano Venter – Originally out for the first two months of the season. Apparently now close to full fitness before round 2. Source here.
Roelof Smit - Close to full fitness before round 2. Source here.
Edgar Marutlulle – Injured his achilles, out for the first three to four weeks of the season. Source here.
Marnitz Boshoff – Expected back in March or April. Source here.
Marco van Staden – Shoulder injury will rule him out of the first four weeks of the season. Source here.
Aston Fortuin and Gerhard Steenkamp – Under injury ‘doubts’. Source here.
Garth April – Required surgery on his shoulder and probably won't be seen for the season.
RG Snyman – Forced to have ankle surgery after playing in Japan. Is set to miss the first six weeks of the season. Source here.
Duncan Matthews – Carried off the field in the trial and had ankle surgery on the 11th of Feb. Will be out for 8 weeks, putting him back around round 8-9.
Lions
Lourens Erasmus – Fractured Tibia and Fibula through the ankle, 6-9 months recovery puts him back around June/ July so he could miss the entire season. Source here.
Len Massyn – Shoulder injury, aiming to be back in April. Source here.
Ross Cronje – Off season shoulder op, in an interview before rd 2 he said he would be back in a week or 2. Source here.
Robbie Coetzee – Still recovering from a long term injury. No timeline for a return yet, but won’t be right for rd 2. Source here.
Cyle Brink – Knee injury, originally reported to be on track for the second or third Super Rugby game. Now we hear he could be out for a while yet. Source here.
Johannes Jonker – Still recovering from a long term injury. Source here.
ARGENTINA/JAPAN
Jaguares
Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro – Right shoulder injury, missed the first trial against the Bulls. Source here. Update: Paul Tait says he is back into full training as of the 30th of January. Update: A new report says he won’t be back until March. Source here.
Emiliano Boffelli – Sounds like he has a hamstring tear. Due back roughly round 3. Source here.
Sunwolves
20 players are in an international camp from Feb 2 to March 1 so are unlikely to feature in the first 3 rounds of the year. Source here.
Lomano Lemeki – Revealed he has a stress fracture in his groin, and will “require a month or two” to heal. Source here.
Gone for the season:
Aki Seiuli (Highlanders) – Apparently out for the season.
Mitchell Graham (Chiefs) – Fractured his tibia and fibula back in the 2017 Brisbane Tens, still unsure of a comeback date as he works with specialists to stop his leg pain. Source here 28th November. He still can’t run and doesn’t have a squad spot for 2019.
Tiaan Falcon (Chiefs) – Ruptured his Achilles tendon and is gone for the entire season. This means a big increase in minutes for Debreczini, and now Stephen Donald has been signed up. Source here.
Sean McMahon (Sunwolves) – Is having preseason foot surgery on a Lisfranc injury which rules him out for the year. As a result his contract has been cancelled with the Sunwolves. Source here. Sean McMahon – Is having preseason foot surgery on a Lisfranc injury which rules him out for the year. As a result his contract has been cancelled with the Sunwolves. Source here.
Shota Horie (Sunwolves) – Had surgery on his right foot to treat a stress fracture. His return is not clear at this stage, however he is targeting playing in the Pacific Nations Cup in July. Source here.
Have we missed something? Drop a comment or tweet and let us know.
Written by your local rugby nerd Harrison Dale.