Riley Higgins ruled out for season after playing 25 minutes with broken leg

All Blacks XV representative Riley Higgins will miss the rest of the Super Rugby Pacific season, with the Hurricanes confirming on Thursday the midfielder had sustained a lower leg fracture during the dramatic win over the Highlanders last week.

Coach Clark Laidlaw has revealed that Higgins played 25 minutes with a broken leg against the Landers, having gone the full 80 during the round 14 clash in Wellington. Peter Umaga-Jensen will instead start at inside centre on Friday away to the Queensland Reds.

Higgins only played four matches this season, making a long-awaited return in mid-April after a decent stint on the sidelines. The 22-year-old was named on the Canes’ bench ahead of their clash with the Western Force in Perth, which ended up as a draw after Super Point.

After that 50-minute cameo off the bench, Higgins started the next three matches at inside centre for the Canes, which included a valiant win over the Brumbies in Canberra. The Hurricanes also beat the Chiefs and Highlanders, and currently sit fifth on the ladder.

 

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But the Canes’ title bid has taken a hit this week, with the club confirming backrower Brayden Iose and Higgins have both suffered season-ending injuries. Iose was ruled out for the remainder of the Super Rugby Pacific campaign, and it’s the same fate for Higgins.

“Riley Higgins sustained a lower leg fracture against the Highlanders and will be out for the remainder of the Super Rugby Pacific season,” the injury update reads.

With Higgins starting in the midfield, the Canes copped an early blow against the Highlanders, with winger Jonah Lowe scoring inside the first two minutes. The Canes managed to hit back soon after, but did lose Iose to an ankle injury.

Lowe was back on the scoresheet midway through the first term, with the Highlanders taking a hard-fought 14-7 lead into the break. While the Canes had been highly favoured going into the match, it seemed an upset was brewing in the capital.

All Blacks halfback Cam Roigard helped get the Canes off to a perfect start early in the second half, linking up with Fehi Fineanganofo. Ruben Love’s accuracy off the goal-kicking tee helped the Canes take a slender three-point lead deep into the contest.

Taine Robinson hit back with two penalties to put the Highlanders into the lead, but that wasn’t enough in the end, with the Canes mounting a memorable comeback. Roigard scored a try in the final play, with the Canes stealing it 24-20.

“I guess we probably didn’t play the way we wanted to, especially, we started real poor. A lot of turnovers and even at the end there, still probably gave the Highlanders a lot of opportunity to close that out,” Roigard said post-game on Sky Sport.

“I guess we were lucky just to fight.

“We talked a lot about effort and the little things, how important that’s going to be.

“To go more than 80 minutes and clinch it at the end there, pretty stoked for the boys.”