Casualty Ward Super Rugby AU Rd 4 & Aotearoa Rd 3
The Casualty Ward is keeping you up to date with all your injury news across Super Rugby AU and Aotearoa. We stay on top of all the latest news, with the added insights of our team's Physiotherapist and Podiatrist.
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Returned from injury (AU Rd 4 & Aotearoa Rd 3):
Emoni Narawa (Blues) - Made his return from on off season injury off the bench.
Folau Fainga'a (Brumbies) - Returned from his toe injury just in time to replace McInerney.
Lukhan Salakai-Loto (Reds) - Made his return this week having finally served out his ban from the international season last year. Source.
Brandon Paenga-Amosa (Reds) - Came off the bench after recovering from a neck injury.
Likely back this week (AU rd 5, Aotearoa rd 4):
Cullen Grace (Crusaders) - Was a late withdrawal from the starting side to face the Chiefs due to sore ribs. He is expected to play this week. Source.
Ethan Blackadder (Crusaders) - Came off with a concussion in rd 2. Expected to play this week. Source.
Angus Bell (Waratahs) - Limped off in the 68th minute with an ankle injury. Exected back in round 5 after their bye. Source.
Jordan Uelese (Rebels) - Injured his hand in round 2. Back on the bench this week. Source.
Jeral Skelton (Rebels) - Had a plate inserted in a minor leg fracture. Again he was on the plane to play last week so he should be close to play. Source.
Matt Gibbon (Rebels) - Recovered from off-season surgery to take his spot on the bench.
Tim Anstee (Western Force) - Missed rd 3 with a shoulder injury. Named on the bench again this week. Source.
New Injuries (AU Rd 4, Aotearoa Rd 3):
Tom Christie (Crusaders) - Dislocated his shoulder in rd 3 and will face an unspecified time on the sideline. We think best case he returns in 5-6 weeks if they choose not to operate. Source.
Jona Nareki (Highlanders) - Left the field with a hip pointer injury (bruised pelvis). Brown is confident he will play after the bye. Source.
Mark Telea (Blues) - Limped off the field at half time and didn't return after the break. Apparently, MacDonald said he had a head knock.
Scott Sio (Brumbies) - Came off with a nasty looking elbow injury but apparently it is a chronic injury which bodes well for a quick return. Source.
Tom Ross (Brumbies) - Came off with a knee injury.
Tom Cusack (Brumbies) - Looks to have injured his collar bone.
Marcel Brache (Western Force) - Originally named to play on the wing he took no part in the game. We aren't sure why.
Toni Pulu (Western Force) - Has a low-grade ankle injury. We think he will miss 1-2 weeks. Source.
Kailea Isaac Aedo (Rebels) - Suffered a shoulder injury. Not sure what he has done.
Lewis Holland (Rebels) - Was one of a number of players coach Wessels name-dropped as injured in his post-match interview.
Ongoing Injury List:
AUSTRALIA
Western Force
Kyle Godwin - Pulled pregame rd 1 with an ankle injury on Wednesday. Apparently he has fractured it so he should be out for at least 8 weeks. Source.
Andrew Ready - Copped a red card for punching someone in the head. Banned for 3 weeks. Means he will be back for round 8.
Brumbies
Tom Wright - Suffered bone bruising during training in the first week of February. Expected to miss at least the first six weeks of Super Rugby AU. Source.
James Slipper - Injured his knee in training before rd 3. Confirmed as a mid range MCL tear so he will miss 4-6 weeks like we guessed! Source.
Connal McInerney - Came off with a bad ankle injury in rd 3. Has apparently fractured his fibula (and probably damaged his syndesmosis). Is expected to be out for an extended period. Source.
Allan Alaalatoa - Red carded for taking Pone's head off. Banned for 3 weeks. Back in rd 8. Source.
Reds
Josh Flook - Dislocated his shoulder and had surgery in August. A 6 month return time would place him around late February. Source.
Liam Wright - Will miss up to 10 weeks of the season with a syndesmosis injury in the preseason trial against the Waratahs. Source.
Feao Fotuaika - Picked up a red card for cleaning a man with his shoulder to the head in rd 2. He has been banned for 3 weeks so will be back in rd 6.
Rebels
Dane Haylett-Petty - Still out with ongoing concussion symptoms since the test season last year. Source.
Cameron Orr - Out with a hamstring injury. Not sure of its severity. Source.
Campbell Magnay - Missed rd 2 due to a quad strain, the reports inferred he wasn't far away but that isn't confirmed. Source.
Emosi Tuqiri - Out with a lower-body injury. Source.
Isi Naisarani - Was expected to miss at least the Reds game (rd 2) after knee arthroscopy (clean up) showed far more extensive damage than was anticipated. He is fit but still building his quad strength. Source.
Waratahs
Lalakai Foketi - Still recovering from a shoulder injury. No word on a return date at the moment. Source.
Robbie Abel - Has an ankle injury and isn't back training two weeks out from round 1. Source.
Joey Walton - Limped off with an ankle injury in rd 1. Could miss up to three months so we might not see him again this season. Source.
Jake Gordon - Syndesmosis (high ankle) sprain in rd 1 has now been confirmed. They say he will miss 8 weeks which would have him back for the final SR AU game. Newsome let slip that they are aiming for a 6 week return. Source.
Izaia Perese - Got red-carded for a bad looking tip tackle. Banned for three weeks so he won't play until round 6. Source.
NEW ZEALAND
Toni Brown has let out that there is no set plan to rest All Blacks this year - Source.
Highlanders
Pari Pari Parkinson - Came back from his ankle operation to play in the development side in rd 3. Source.
Liam Squire - Missed last week as his workload was being "managed" in his return to Super rugby, we think he should play after the bye. Source.
Kazuki Himeno - Was in isolation until February 22nd. Played in the development side in rd 3 so we think he might find his way into the top side after the bye. Source.
Ayden Johnstone - Suffered a concussion while training for the North v South game last year. Played for the development side in rd 3. Source.
Sam Gilbert – Tore his ACL in rd 3 and will miss 9 months. Due back around April 2021. Source.
Daniel Lienert-Brown - Came off with a bad-looking shoulder injury. He has fractured his arm and will be back around the end of April. Source.
Chiefs
Kini Naholo - Will miss the entire 2021 Super Rugby campaign with injury.
Atu Moli – Had FAI (hip impingement) surgery on both hips to treat chronic hip dysfunction. Missed the entire 2020 season. Still on the road to recovery as of rd 2 2021. Source.
Laghlan McWhannell - Currently has a knee injury which we assume is still the patella tendon debridement from last year. Word is that he has had further surgery. Missed all of 2020 and now has had an injury replacement brought in so we assume he is out for some time. Source.
Kaleb Trask - Is unlikely to play rd 2 because of a knee problem suffered in pre-season. Source.
Pita Gus Sowakula - Recovering from a knee injury, after round 1 he is still "a few weeks away". Source.
Aidan Ross - Currently has a knee injury. Source.
Quinn Tupaea - Currently has a hamstring injury as of rd 2. Source.
Chase Tiatia - Currently out with a concussion as of rd 2. Source.
Lachlan Boshier - Hasn't played this season due to a minor foot injury. Aggravated it before rd 3 and won't play again. Source.
Nathan Harris - Has a long-term plan to get back in genuine contention for the match-day squad is in place after a long stint on the sideline. Source.
Hurricanes
Jamie Booth - Tore his MCL and PCL in his knee, plus fractured his tibial plateau (surface of his knee joint). Had an operation in October. I'd suspect he is about six months (April) to return as a minimum but Holland has said he could even miss the entire season. Source.
Dane Coles - Missed the first two weeks with a minor calf injury, aiming to play rd 5 against the Highlanders. Source.
Scott Scrafton - Rolled his ankle coming down from a lineout in rd 1 and will miss 3-4 weeks (back rd 5-6). UPDATE: a chance to play rd 5. Source.
Vaea Fifita - Missed rd 2 with concussion. No word on his return.
Ruben Love - We believe he suffered a bad concussion in the Hunters game in rd 1. Made his comeback in rd 4 to the reserve side. Source.
Jackson Garden-Bachop - Apparently has a partial achilles tear, he will be "out for several weeks" before rd 4. Source.
Asafo Aumua - Damaged his AC joint in his shoulder in round 2. Missed rd 4 and is still likely a week or two away. Source.
Crusaders
Braydon Ennor - Tore his ACL in the North V South game and is not due back until after SR Aotearoa. Source.
Manasa Mataele - Recovering from a pec muscle repair in mid October only a few days after Bridge. Expected return was by mid April but he is already playing in the Crusaders development side by rd 2 so we might see him in the back very soon. Source.
Tom Sanders - Fractured his cheek in the intrasquad match (Feb 6th we think), ruled out for 8-10 weeks. This would mean a rd 6 return at the earliest. Source.
Oli Jager - Injured his foot in the first trial against the Highlanders and limped off the field. Still out for a couple of weeks as of rd 2. Source.
George Bridge Fit again after having his pec muscle repaired last year. Will apparently return via the development side. Source.
Blues
Ray Niuia – Had a knee injury that cost him his 2020 season. We assume he is back competing for a spot this year.
Soane Vikena - The NZ U20s hooker will miss the season with a shoulder injury from back in November. Source.
TJ Faiane - Listed as injured before the last preseason game. No other details yet. Source.
Dillon Hunt - Listed as injured before the last preseason game. No other details yet. Source.
Jone Macalai - Listed as injured before the last preseason game. No other details yet. Source.
Josiah Maraku - Listed as injured before the last preseason game. No other details yet. Source.
Finlay Christie - Out with a leg injury. Source.
Alex Hodgman - Out with an ankle injury. Source.
Gone for the season:
Andrew Makalio (Crusaders) - has been ruled out of the 2021 Super Rugby season due to a neck injury. Source.
Jermaine Ainsley (Highlanders) - Ruled out for the majority of SR Aotearoa due to a high ankle sprain sustained the week before the first trial. Source.
Fetuli Paea (Highlanders) - Ruled out of the rest of the season after injuring his ankle in the last preseason trial. Source.
Simon Hickey (Hurricanes) - Tore his ACL in preseason and will miss the entire 2021 season. Orbyn Leger is likely to get a full contract as injury cover. Source.
James Parsons (Blues) - Retiring on medical advice, after being out of the game for several months from a head injury. Source.
Julian Montoya (Western Force) - Couldn't get a visa for his wife so is no longer join the Force. He is joining Leicester Tigers instead. Source.
Rhys van Nek (Rebels) - The young prop is out for the season with a hamstring injury. Source.
Have we missed something? Drop a comment or tweet and let us know.
Written by your local rugby nerd Harrison Dale.