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Asafo Aumua in doubt for Chiefs clash as Hurricanes face first-five injury crisis
Hurricanes star Asafo Aumua is in doubt to face the Chiefs in Wellington next Saturday after he left the field with a shoulder injury in his side’s 33-16 defeat to the Crusaders in Christchurch on Sunday.
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The 23-year-old front rower departed the field early in the second half after tackling his All Blacks teammates Sevu Reece and Joe Moody in the same movement.
Hurricanes head coach Jason Holland said on Wednesday that Aumua hadn’t sustained any bone damage, “but obviously his AC joint is pretty banged up”.
As such, it is highly unlikely the one-test hooker will feature in next weekend’s clash with the Chiefs, which comes after this weekend’s bye.
That means the Hurricanes will have to test their depth in the No. 2 jersey given fellow rake Dane Coles has also been sidelined in the opening weeks of the new season as he makes his way back from a calf injury.
“Touch and go whether he’s right for the Chiefs,” Holland said of Coles.
“We’re hoping, but we won’t get too excited. He definitely won’t be right to peel out 50-60 minutes. We’ll play it by ear, hopefully he’s right but if it comes around too quick then we’ll accept that.”
Ricky Riccitelli came off the bench as Aumua’s replacement last weekend, while wider training squad members James O’Reilly and Tyrone Thompson are hanging in the wings as potential candidates for promotion into the match day side.
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It isn’t only at hooker where the Hurricanes have been hit with injury concerns, as first-five Jackson Garden-Bachop is also in doubt for his side’s upcoming match due to an achilles tendon injury.
That injury forced Garden-Bachop from the field at half-time, and with no other bona fide first-five option in the side, fullback Jordie Barrett was forced to go into the No. 10 role.
“He’s had niggly achilles for a long time and we can manage it normally, but it obviously got pretty inflamed over the first half of that game,” Holland said of Garden-Bachop, who is awaiting the results of an MRI scan.
“The reality with those guys is, with the bye week we give them 4-5 days and see how they rock up on Monday.”
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New recruit Simon Hickey’s season-ending ACL injury has already put the Hurricanes under pressure in that position, meaning Garden-Bachop’s niggle has left the Wellington-based franchise short-handed in the key playmaking spot.
To fill the void of those players, Holland could pull Barrett out of his preferred fullback position and play him at No. 10, where he started for the All Blacks against Namibia at the 2019 World Cup.
Or, he could look to two of his wider training squad members in Counties Manukau five-eighth Orbyn Leger or 2019 New Zealand Schools representative Aidan Morgan.
Either of those two would be interesting options. Leger, a former New Zealand and Samoa U20 star, has experience at first-five in Super Rugby, having played there for the Chiefs in 2019 after moving south from the Blues.
Morgan, meanwhile, is a highly-touted teenage prospect who joined Wellington and the Hurricanes last year after emerging as a star for King’s College in Auckland.
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Holland spoke highly of Morgan on Wednesday, labelling him “a mature young guy”, but said it was unlikely Barrett would be called upon to fill the first-five spot against the Chiefs.
“He’s a possibility but he’s not as comfortable there as in the other places,” Holland said of Barrett.
“We [coaches] will have a talk about that. He’s a chance to play there but I’m not overly keen on it, to be honest. I think he’s a bit wasted there but we’ll see how training goes Thursday-Friday.”
The only other injury concern comes at lock as Scott Scrafton continues to work through an ankle injury, although Holland is hopeful the 27-year-old will be available next week after showing good signs of recovery progress.
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Comments on RugbyPass
I've never been convinced that Patty T is a test match all black. Otherwise I probably agree it's the best side available to beat the poms. Caveat that Codie Taylor is yet to be seen and could very likely warrant selection by June. I hope that Razor brings the young loosies, half backs and locks into the training squad and develops/ selects the best
7 Go to commentsYou doing the same thing I disliked about the example of Samisoni Taukei'aho, Nick. He’s great the way he is, you’re trying to do what modern-day coaches frustrate me doing, turning everyone into the perfect athlete. Next thing you’ll be telling me you’ll bench him until he’s hit that arbitrary marker, and can’t overtake the current guy who’s doing all his workons. He’s a young Kieran Read, through and through, plays wide and has threat, mainly (and evident in your clips) through his two hand carry and speed. Just let him work on that, or whatever he wants, and determine his own future. Play God and you risk the players going sideways, like Read did, instead of being a Toutai Kefu. I mean I was in the same camp for a while, wanting our tight five to have the size, and carry ability, as the teams they were getting beat by. Now I’m starting to believe those teams just have better skilled and practiced individuals, bigger by upwards of 5kg sometimes, sure, but more influentially they have those intrinsic skills of trust and awareness. Basically our guys just didn’t know wtf they were doing. Don’t think I’m trying to prove a point here but hasn’t Caleb Clarke been in much better form this year, or does he just ‘look’ better now that he’s not always trying to use his size?
43 Go to commentsThe pack lacks a little in height for the line out and I wouldn’t be completely convinced by some of the combinations till we see it in action.
7 Go to commentsThe side is good but lacks experience. International playing bona fides udually trumps super rugby form for good reason. And incumbents are usually stuck with. Codie Taylor should start or come off the bench. B Barrett will start at fullback. Blackadder has not earned the position, Finau has. TJs experience and competitiveness earns him a starting role, Christie or Ratima off the bench
7 Go to commentsPretty good side. Scott Barrett should be the captain. Ethan Blackadder a great choice at blindside. He is going to go from strength to strength having made a couple of starts for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson rates him highly. Perenara could start a no 9.
7 Go to commentsI question and with respect. Was enough done over the last few years to bring through new blood knowing the Whitelocks and co couldn’t last forever. There should have been more done to future proof the team. New squad new coach, he and they weren’t set up well. IMO
6 Go to commentsJacobsen will definitely be in the 23
7 Go to commentsLots of discussion points, Ben, but two glaring follies IMO: 1. Blackadder at 6. Has done nothing so far this season to justify his selection. Did you see him going backwards in contact at the weekend? Simply has not got the physical presence at 6: we need a Scott Barrett or a Finau (or wildcard Ah Kuoi), beasts who are big enough to play lock, like Frizzell. If Barret played at 6, Paddy could be joined at lock by Vai’i or one of the young giants we need to promote, like Darry or Lord (if he ever gets on the field). Blackadder best left to join the queue for 7. 2. Not even a mention for Christie? Ratima gets caught at crucial times at the back of the ruck when he hesitates on the pass. The only way he starts would be if Christie and TJ are injured.
7 Go to commentsWhat a dagg in more ways than one
6 Go to commentsRegroup come back next year but sack some of the coaching team and don't be like the ABs last minute sacking. If Crusaders don't do well ABs don't do well.
5 Go to commentsProctor Definitely inform again this year had a hell of a season last year and this year is looking even better. Still mixed feelings about Ioane tho.
4 Go to commentsDagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
6 Go to commentsHe was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
5 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to comments