Wallabies spring tour injury updates

[Nicholas]

Here, I will post up to date injury news from the Wallabies during their spring tour. News coming soon.

[Nicholas]

Rather than curse his misfortune, Wallabies winger Drew Mitchell is thanking his lucky stars after suffering a broken jaw at Coffs Harbour.

Mitchell sustained an undisplaced fracture, which does not require surgery, after a clash of heads with fellow finisher Clyde Rathbone during a contact session on Tuesday morning.

But a late decision to wear a new bulky mouth guard, after twice opting to leave it behind, has ensured his European tour hopes remain intact.

Mitchell is certain he would have suffered a displaced fracture, ruling him out of the seven-match spring tour, if he hadn't had two late changes of mind.

He actually left the mouth guard - specially made to reduce the damage from jaw fractures - in his room on leaving for training.

"I'm not sure why I didn't pack it (initially) today," he said.

"It was a last minute thing after leaving my room at the hotel, I went back in and grabbed it.

"Then the last thing our kicking coach Ben Perkins said to the team before training was `Don't forget your mouth guards'.

"I warmed up without it and then after the warm up had to run over a and grab it.

"I'm pleased I did."

Mitchell, who clashed with Rathbone's cheekbone as he fell in a ball-and-all tackle by the starting winger, said he only started wearing the new oral protector late this season.

"It's funny the way things turn out that I was lucky to have that particular mouth guard in at the time," he said.

"I'm pretty happy, I might stay with it for a while."

Wallabies medics believe Mitchell will be able to return to contact training when the 37-man squad has its last pre-tour training camp in Sydney from October 24.

He will be joined by lock Dan Vickerman (shoulder), utility back Mat Rogers (knee) and fullback Cameron Shepherd (groin) in returning to full training then.

Coach John Connolly has been pleased with the gains Mitchell has made in speed and strength since starting a specific fitness regime after the Tri-Nations.

The 22-year-old was the find of 2005 for Eddie Jones but dropped off the radar this year after an inconsistent Super 14 and a loss of his signature pace.

Halfback Sam Cordingley (foot) has completed his third straight session but Connolly is yet to be convinced he will be fit to tour.

Showing there are grave concerns, the coach said he may make an early call on the Queenslander before Friday's end to the five-day camp.

Meanwhile, the Australian Rugby Union have taken exception to complaints from NSW and former Test flanker Simon Poidevin it has been tardy in re-signing Wallabies vice-captain Phil Waugh.

Talks have started after Waugh indicated he wanted to remain with the Waratahs and Wallabies after the 2007 World Cup.

"Phil Waugh is not off contract until the end of next year, more than 14 months away," said ARU boss Gary Flowers.

"It would border on irresponsible for the ARU to start locking away players on a regular basis when they still have more than 14 months left on their current contract.

"There is no doubt he is in our plans beyond the World Cup."

[Nicholas]

The Wallabies will be without their top two halfbacks for the spring tour of Europe after Sam Cordingley withdrew on Wednesday.

Queenslander Cordingley, who was set to replace resting skipper George Gregan on the four-Test tour, succumbed to a persistent foot injury.

"I've given it two days (on the training paddock) and I'm still not moving the way I would like or with the confidence that I would like," Cordingley said in a statement before returning home to Brisbane.

"It's progressed slowly with treatment but at the moment it's still about 70 per cent and I had a choice to either push it and see if I got through the tour, or stay behind and get the injury properly attended to before next season.

"I don't think I could get through the training load, let alone the four Tests.

"It's time now to make some appointments with surgeons and see what my options are."

Waratahs recruit Josh Valentine will replace Cordingley, the 23-year-old set to join the Wallabies in Coffs Harbour on Wednesday.

Cordingley first suffered the foot ligament injury, known as lisfranc, midway through the Super 14 season before recovering well enough to make a long-awaited return to Test rugby against England in June.

The injury flared up again during the winter Test series, ruling him out of the Wallabies' final two Tri Nations matches.

The 30-year-old will now target next year's Super 14 for his return.

"Hopefully I've got a chance to get it repaired and be fit for the start of the Super 14 season," he said.

"Next year is a big year and obviously selection in the World Cup squad is the ultimate goal."

Cordingley said he was disappointed at missing an opportunity to challenge for Gregan's Test jumper.

"The fact that I had an opportunity to bed down the No.9 jersey on the tour made the decision to back out a very difficult one," he said.

"Having said that, I didn't want to go on the tour and not be able to perform my best.

"There was a big risk that I could have done more damage to the foot, which potentially would have set me back quite a long way leading into the World Cup year, but more importantly it wouldn't have been fair on the team."

[Nicholas]

Queensland prop Greg Holmes has been ruled out of the Wallabies' four Test tour of Europe with a neck injury.

Holmes failed a fitness test at training in Sydney on Wednesday and has been replaced by Brumby's prop Nic Henderson.

The Australians fly out on Friday for a month-long, seven-match tour including Tests against Wales, Italy, Ireland and Scotland.

[sdredmerah]

Thanks for the updates

[Nicholas]

Hugh McMeniman was cleared of a broken neck after being stretchered off in the Wallabies' shocking tour-opening loss to a second-string Welsh regional side in Swansea.

McMeniman was injured just seven minutes into his comeback from six months out of the game following a shoulder reconstruction.

But initial x-rays and CT scans cleared the 23-year-old flanker of any serious spinal damage.

Halfback Brett Sheehan also failed to see out the game after sustaining a badly broken nose when taken out in an illegal tackle.

He didn't miss much as the Wallabies' mid-week side slumped to a disappointing 24-16 defeat at the hands of a depleted Ospreys line-up missing 13 frontline players.

[sdredmerah]

Hugh McMeniman was cleared of a broken neck after being stretchered off in the Wallabies' shocking tour-opening loss to a second-string Welsh regional side in Swansea.

He should be back to training within the next 48 hours.

[Nicholas]

Italy coach Pierre Berbizier has called winger Michele Sepe into his squad for this weekend's rugby Test against Australia after Ezio Galon dropped out with a hamstring injury.

The inclusion of Sepe in the squad for the game at Rome's Stadio Flaminio on Saturday underlined Berbizier's commitment to developing Italy's young players.

The 20-year-old won the first of his two caps in June in a 52-6 victory over Japan.

Berbizier also added Calvisano's Leonardo Ghiraldini to his squad as first-choice hooker Fabio Ongaro struggled for fitness.

Italy is due to name its formation for the match on Thursday.

Australia, fresh from last weekend's 29-29 draw with Wales in Cardiff, will name their team on Wednesday.

[Nicholas]

Daniel Vickerman out until May.

Mat Rogers will have XRays on a suspected broken hand.

[Nicholas]

Daniel Vickerman out until May.

Mat Rogers will have XRays on a suspected broken hand.

Rogers played against Ireland so I think he hasn't broken his hand.

[Nicholas]

Unlucky Queensland Reds lock Hugh McMeniman has finally been delivered some good news - the neck injury he sustained in Wales will not be enough to keep him off the field for the start of the 2007 Super 14 season.

McMeniman missed the 2006 Super 14 season after he had a shoulder reconstruction and made his return to the game in Australia A's tour match against the Ospreys. Only eight minutes in, though, the 23-year-old was carried off the ground with what appeared to be a serious neck injury.

Luckily for McMeniman, a neurosurgeon cleared him earlier this week and said that he would be fine to return for the upcoming Super 14 season, which starts in February.
"He (the doctor) pretty much told me that I could be back doing full contact work in two weeks," McMeniman said.

"I haven't played any rugby for about a year so I'm very happy."

McMeniman will have his neck re-examined in December and if everything is all right, he will start contact training before Christmas.

"I've got a goal to start training with the Reds boys as soon as possible, learn the plays that Eddie (Jones) has in place and get a good Super 14 season under my belt," he said.