All Black's prospects looks bleak
INJURY UPDATE: The Chiefs are facing the prospect of a season without All Blacks flank Sam Cane while he continues his recovery from a neck fracture.
Cane suffered the injury last October during the All Blacks’ 32-30 win over the Springboks in Pretoria.
“He’s still miles away,” Chiefs assistant coach Tabai Matson told NZME after the Chiefs’ first pre-season match against the Blues in Waiuku on Friday.
Matson said he hoped the 27-year-old would be back on the field by May, but understands that isn’t likely.
“We’ve had to count him out really, to be fair,” Matson said.
“There’s lots of footy to play before he even gets close.”
“It could be a blessing in disguise for him around a lot of the leadership he can focus on for us.”
The Chiefs have received good news about other injured players, and will welcome back All Blacks prop Atu Moli and loose forward Mitch Brown. Brown ruptured his ACL in the early stages of last season, while Moli had complications with a quad haematoma he suffered in last year’s season opener.
“I don’t want to curse them, but we’re really positive about having those players available this season,” Matson said.
“They’re key contributors and key to our success so we’re all excited to have them back in. They look like they’ve been training hard so next Monday they’ll join the flock and take the lead in some areas.
“The quicker everybody can get them in, the better it is for your team, so that will be our focus.”
* There was also some bad news for new Blues co-captain Blake Gibson, who suffered an ankle injury.
For the record four tries were split two apiece and both coaching staffs expressed satisfaction at what they were able to achieve in the first real physical hitout of their Super Rugby pre-season.
The two sides will meet again next Saturday in Kaikohe, Northland, for a much more structured rugby contest over four 20-minute quarters.
Given Gibson’s troubled injury history already early in his professional career, it’s a ding that causes a little more consternation than it might otherwise have among the Blues who believe the young No 7 can lead their reclamation project in 2019.
Sources: NZME & RugbyPass
