Polota-Nau ruled out of opener
Comments
0
Tatafu Polota-Nau has been ruled out of the Rugby Championship opener against New Zealand, leaving the Australians dangerously thin on hookers.
Polota-Nau, who limped off just after halftime in the Waratahs historic 33-32 Super Rugby Final win over the Crusaders, underwent scans on Monday and was diagnosed with a low-grade MCL knee injury.
The Australian Rugby Union have confirmed he'll miss the first Rugby CHampionship match in Sydney on August 16, but will be re-assessed leading into game two in Auckland on August 23.
Polota-Nau's injury comes after first choice Wallaby hooker and captain, Stephen Moore, was ruled out during the first Test against France in June – also with a knee injury.
Western Force hooker Nathan Charles, who earned his first two Test caps off the bench in Moore's absence, could now be thrown into the deep-end with his first run-on game when he takes on the All Blacks on August 16.
With the Reds' James Hansen the only other hooker in the 32-man squad, Waratahs reserve hooker Tolu Latu will join the camp on Wednesday as an additional training squad member.
In a further blow to the Wallabies' front row stocks, Brumbies prop Scott Sio rolled his ankle on Monday and will have scans on the injury in the coming week.
Sio has returned home to Canberra for scans to determine the extent of the injury, with the Wallabies believing it's a potential syndesmosis injury.
He will be replaced in the squad by Melbourne Rebels tighthead Laurie Weeks, who will join the squad in Bathurst on Wednesday when the Waratahs also enter the camp.
The Wallabies say they chose a tighthead as replacement for Sio – who plays loosehead – as they had plans to train the young Brumbies front row forward up as a tighthead.
Sio played all five of his Tests off the bench in 2013 – making his debut against the All Blacks in last year's Bledisloe Cup.
AAP
ADVERTISEMENT
