Welsh battering ram cut down
Destructive Welsh inside centre Jamie Roberts has been ruled out of action for six months with a knee injury which means that he will miss the rest of the domestic season and the tour to Australia in June.
Roberts damaged ligaments in his knee in the Cardiff Blues’ 31-3 defeat in Glasgow last weekend and will undergo surgery on his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) later this week, which means that he will not play again this season.
The news comes as a huge blow for the Blues who are now facing something of a midfield crisis ahead of their European Cup quarterfinal against Leinster in Dublin on Saturday having sacked the controversial Gavin Henson on Monday for drunken behaviour.
With Wales’ Grand Slam-winning captain Sam Warburton also ruled out due to a shoulder injury the Cardiff side will have their work seriously cut out for them when they square up to the defending champions at Lansdowne Road.
Roberts said that he was devestated by the fact that he cannot contribute this weekend, but explained that his knee had never really recovered after the original injury sustained against Racing Metro late last year.
He said: “First and foremost, I’m pretty devastated to be missing this weekend’s Heineken Cup quarterfinal match against Leinster, in what is our biggest match of the season. It’s a match I’ve been looking forward to for a long time but unfortunately my body hasn’t quite allowed me to be a part of such a huge occasion for us as a region.
“I originally injured my knee in Paris playing against Racing Metro after returning from the World Cup. With the fantastic help from the medical staff at the Blues and Welsh Rugby Union, I was able to rehab my knee well enough to get me through a handful of games for the Blues and the successful Grand Slam Six Nations campaign with Wales.
“However, following my injury in the match against Glasgow on Friday night I’ve been advised by the knee surgeon that my knee is now not stable enough to continue playing and potentially risk further injury to the knee,” explained the big centre.
Although it means he will miss the tour of Australia in the June Test window Roberts said that there is a silver lining in that he will be able to focus on wrapping up his degree in medicine.
“I suppose it’s a chance for me to get my body fully right for what is a huge season for both club and country, with a certain carrot at the end of it too. It will also allow me to continue my focus on the final year of my degree in medicine and the finals I’ll be sitting next March,” he said.
Dafydd Hewitt and Gavin Evans will now come into the reckoning to join All Black Casey Laulala in the centre for the Blues. Welsh cap Evans played most of the match in the win over Racing Metro in Paris and started in the team that won against the same opposition in Cardiff, while Hewitt started for the Blues in their win away to London Irish.
