Double front row blow for Wallabies
Freier ruled out; Blake to miss 3N opener?
Qantas Wallabies hooker Adam Freier will be out of rugby for up to eight weeks, after rupturing the medial ligament in his left foot during the first half of Australia's Cook Cup triumph over England last Saturday. But there was also further bad news for the Wallabies over the availability of man mountain Rodney Blake.
An MRI scan confirmed the news for the Waratahs hooker, who returned home following Australia's 25-point win at the weekend.
Freier will not be able to put weight on the foot for four weeks, however, the injury does not require surgery.
The 26-year-old will wear a protective boot for two weeks, but returned to the gym at the Waratahs training base today (Tuesday).
"I've started some upperbody weights and hope to get on the exercise bike in a couple of weeks," said Freier.
"At the moment I've just got to rest it and keep icing it up. I'm obviously extremely disappointed, but when you get an injury like this, it's a good opportunity to move forward in other areas.
"(Wallabies restarts coach) Michael Foley has given me a good program for my line-out throwing and John has indicated that I'll be able to join the squad at various times during my recovery."
Freier remains optimistic about his chances of returning for the final Tri-Nations matches.
"The medical staff have told me that the recovery can be anywhere from six to ten weeks for this type of injury, but I should be into some kind of light running activity in four weeks," he said.
"It's a bit of a long-shot, but you've got to stay positive and I'm going to target the final games of the Tri-Nations series."
Meanwhile, powerhouse prop Rodney Blake is likely to miss the Wallabies' Tri-Nations opener against New Zealand in Christchurch after results from an MRI scan on his injured ankle revealed a Syndesmosis sprain.
Blake was injured in the 27th minute of Saturday's 43-18 victory over England and faces up to three weeks on the sidelines.
