Casualty Ward Super Rugby AU Rd 2 & Aotearoa Rd 1
The Super Rugby Aotearoa is here! To make things even better Super Rugby AU is now in full swing. The Casualty Ward is keeping you up to date with all your injury news. 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 2 & Aotearoa Rd 1):
Liam Squire (Highlanders) - Was only meant to play in the "early rounds" and was never expected to be 100% fit at the start of the season. However, he was fit enough to come off the bench.
Fraser Armstrong (Hurricanes) - Started the game after getting a head knock in the final trial.
Peter Umaga-Jensen (Hurricanes) - Missed the final trial on paternity leave. Came back via the bench.
Rob Leota (Rebels) - Broke a leg in Shute Shield last season. Made his comeback via the bench.
Matt To’omua (Rebels) - Returned from a hip injury after he missed part of the preseason.
Suliasi Vunivalu (Reds) - Made his debut having missed rd 1 due to a ban.
Tepai Moeroa (Waratahs) - Overcome a knee niggle to start at inside centre.
Lachie Swinton (Waratahs) - Back after missing round 1 following his red card suspension from the international season.
Likely back this week (AU rd 3, Aotearoa rd 2):
Dane Coles (Hurricanes) - Missed rd 1 with a minor calf injury. Makes us think he will play this week. Source.
David Havili (Crusaders) - Suffered a concussion in the last preseason game. Confirmed now that he will play. Source.
Will Jordan (Crusaders) - Pulled pre-game with a rib injury that we think he got in the last trial. Now confirmed he will play round 2. Source.
Samisoni Taukei’aho (Chiefs) - Left the field to receive medical attention in the trial. Named to start this week. Source.
Solomone Kata (Brumbies) - Back from a leg injury to start on the bench.
Scott Sio (Brumbies) - Missed round 1 and 2 with a back complaint. Named to start this week. Source.
Andrew Ready (Western Force) - Didn't play rd 1 because his partner was due to have a baby. Named on the bench for rd 3. Source.
Toni Pulu (Western Force) – Had shoulder surgery in early March 2020 and missed the full season. Named to start this year. Source.
New Injuries (AU Rd 2, Aotearoa Rd 1):
Scott Scrafton (Hurricanes) - Rolled his ankle coming down from a lineout.
Ruben Love (Hurricanes) - We believe he suffered a bad concussion in the Hunters game. Was taken off on a stretcher with a neck brace on so it didn't look good. Source.
Caleb Clarke (Blues) - Limped off late, probably nothing serious.
Kaleb Trask (Chiefs) - Is unlikely to play rd 2 because of a knee problem suffered in pre-season. Source.
Pita Gus Sowakula (Chiefs) - Recovering from a knee injury, after round 1 he is still "a few weeks away". Source.
Aidan Ross (Chiefs) - Currently has a knee injury. Source.
Quinn Tupaea (Chiefs) - Currently has a hamstring injury. Source.
Chase Tiatia (Chiefs) - Currently out with a concussion. Source.
Lachlan Boshier (Chiefs) - Ruled out of round 2 with a minor foot niggle. Source.
Nathan Harris (Chiefs) - 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.
Feao Fotuaika (Reds) - Picked up a red card for cleaning a man with his shoulder to the head. He has been banned for 3 weeks.
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, expected to miss three weeks so he should play rd 6. Source.
Rhys van Nek (Rebels) - The young prop is out for the season with a hamstring injury. Source.
James Slipper (Brumbies) - Injured his knee in training before rd 3. Apparently seen in a knee brace and is going for scans. That makes us highly suspicious of an MCL or LCL ligament injury, likely at least grade 2. Don't be surprised if he misses 4-6 weeks. Source.
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.
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.
Folau Fainga'a - succumbed to a toe injury, missed rd 2 and now 3 as well. Source.
Reds
Lukhan Salakai-Loto - Still has two weeks to go on his ban from the end of last year so he won't play until round 3.
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.
Brandon Paenga-Amosa - Missed rd 1 and 2 with a neck injury. Source.
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.
Matt Gibbon - Still recovering from 2020 post-season surgery. Source.
Emosi Tuqiri - Out with a lower-body injury. Source.
Jeral Skelton - Had a plate inserted in a minor leg fracture. He will be out at least for four weeks so he won't play until at least rd 5. 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 - Suffered an ankle injury in rd 10 and had an operation, due back in April. Source.
Kazuki Himeno - Was stuck in Japan but now in NZ in isolation until February 22nd. Brown suggested he was aiming to play round 3. Source.
Sam Gilbert – Tore his ACL in rd 3 and will miss 9 months. Due back around April 2021. Source.
Ayden Johnstone - is unavailable as he recovers from a concussion he picked up while training for the North v South game last year. No definitive time has been put on his return. 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.
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.
Crusaders
Braydon Ennor - Tore his ACL in the North V South game and is not due back until after SR Aotearoa. Source.
George Bridge - Recovering from a pec muscle repair in mid October. Said to be out for six months he should return by mid April. Source.
Manasa Mataele - Recovering from a pec muscle repair in mid October only a few days after Bridge. Said to be out for six months he should return by mid April. 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.
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.
Emoni Narawa - 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.
Have we missed something? Drop a comment or tweet and let us know.
Written by your local rugby nerd Harrison Dale.