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Sale deliver a devastating injury update on England back row Tom Curry
Sale have delivered a deflating update on Tom Curry, confirming that the England back row will require surgery to mend a hip problem and his lengthy rehabilitation will likely sideline him for the rest of the season – including the entire 2024 Guinness Six Nations with his country.
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Alex Sanderson delivered the update on Tuesday afternoon a week after he originally revealed that the 25-year-old was in London seeking out a specialist opinion after he pulled up lame on the training ground in Manchester earlier this month following his return from the Rugby World Cup in France.
The Sale director of rugby last week explained that Curry was initially alright after he came back in from France 2023 but that as soon as he trained with any intensity for his club, he stiffened up and it took a while to free him up. That restriction prompted the back-rower to seek out expert opinion and it has now been decided that a season-ending operation is needed.
“Tom needs a clear out of his hip that will put him out for the rest of this season,” said Sanderson at his media briefing ahead of this Friday’s top of the Gallagher Premiership clash with Bath at the AJ Bell. “This is the only option.
“He has been back down to London to have further extensive x-rays under movement with a different consultant and this is the best thing for him in the short term. I know it sounds long-term, the season, but it’s not. He is still a young lad and it’s the best thing for him in the short-term to ensure he is able to be more robust moving forward to train and progress his game the way he wants to.
“He has just got some wear and tear issues around his socket and a little bone that needs shaving off, cleaning up. My understanding is there is three procedures you can have on your hip of this nature: one is this, which is the least invasive. Then you can have a resurfacing, have a metal resurfacing, and then you can have a hip replacement, so this is the better of lesser evils I guess,” said Sanderson, adding that Curry will have the op “as early as possible so we are aiming for the week after next.
“The level it [the stiffness] was at in this point of time was new, hence why we have had to send him to specialists; it hadn’t flagged up to this degree until this point in his career. There has always been hip stiffness there… there has always been an element of managing his load because he will just empty the tank and drink deep for the well and this time he was doing the same thing but just not recovering and wasn’t able to do it again and again. The red flags were out that maybe there was something deeper here and apparently there is.”
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The operation will be the latest setback in a difficult year for Curry where he missed the entire 2023 Six Nations and Summer Nations series through different injuries and he was then suspended after a red-carded tackle in the opening match at the World Cup.
How has he reacted to the news that his 2023/24 season is now essentially over? “I was more upset than he was,” reckoned Sanderson. “He had reframed himself, was like, ‘Okay, this is fine’… I literally see it as a bump in the road for him. He was extremely positive.
“I’m sure there will be ebbs and flows over the next four or five months and I hope to be part of that journey with him as we get him back to where he needs to be. There was no chink in the invincible armour that is Tom Curry, it was like, ‘Right, let’s get it done. Let’s go’.
“I was surprised how quickly he turned himself around. It’s not old news for him now, he has had at least a week to get to grips with what could happen and this is by no means the worst that could happen and he is very positive about getting back and getting back in a Sale shirt. Hopefully towards the back end of this season but if not, he will be good to go next.”
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Beaten league finalists last season, Sale currently top the table after five wins in their opening six matches. Curry played no part in that progress but will his absence affect the club’s title challenge and will they need to dip into the market to find a replacement?
“Tom Curry’s influence on a game is huge, not just on a weekend but how he drives standards in the week every week… Tom will be around. He wants to help, he wants to contribute in a similar fashion that George did when he was injured and improve his communication skills and understand how he can contribute without doing it through his actions on the grass.
“We are leaning into the possibility of whether we need cover, we have still got a lot of strength there. We do still have a couple of injuries in JL (du Preez), who is going to come back in the next few weeks, and Tom Ellis, so if we are looking at someone at the moment we are thinking it would be for short-term because we are two injuries away from playing academy players.
“That’s unfair to them so we are just looking at how we are tracking at the moment, seeing what is out there. We won’t be able to get a replacement for Tom because there is no one like him but someone who can help us rotate and manage the load over the next six weeks because I reckon then you can fire into the end of January and after that mid-season break, you have got 12 games left, six by way of knockout.
“That is home straight, so it would really be in the short term between now and the end of January if we needed someone and we weren’t tracking so well over the next week or two.”
Comments on RugbyPass
A Turtle has more pace and leg drive than Owen Franks, so it’s a good thing he only had to run 90 metres for that try.
2 Go to commentsOh Tamati Tua was in the vastly over-rated Leon MacDonalds Blues system? Well, no wonder he was wasted, much like Emoni Narawa and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens under MacDonald. now look at them. Good thing Tua isn’t eligible, the Aussies latch on to any player who isn’t tied down.
2 Go to commentsMark Telea is a lot of things, but a defensive juggernaut has never been one of them. There will be far bigger tests in that regard for the youngster.
10 Go to commentsLove and respect to Fiji but not a chance outside of 7s
4 Go to commentsGood summation Ned. Agree the Canes were out-muscled for once (except at the scrum!) by a focused Brumbies outfit. Tua deserves consideration for higher honors after the way he humbled Jordie and the Canes defense. Thankfully, his lack of eligibility for Oz keeps him from Joe’s plans. While I also agree the injuries affected the Canes performance, some players seemed to lack focus and intensity for this match. Perhaps after the Blues demolished the Brumbies, they thought it was going to be easy? A good reminder that any slip up in preparation can have a big affect on the result. Brumbies deserved that win.
2 Go to commentsKarl Dixon should never have been appointed this fixture, absolute disgrace, He’s not much of a referee anyway, didn't have the balls to send his mate care off
5 Go to commentsBrilliant article! Harry of 8/9
1 Go to comments‘UK athletes' have been in the NFL from the start.
1 Go to commentsIt’s going to be Scott Barrett. He’s the coaches mate and captain of a previously elite team. Ardie a great option but scooter has worked with the coach and Ardie still as big a leader as needed.
23 Go to commentsI commend Colin Scotts bio All Balls. He was the first Aussie to make it to NFL. But he was poached and did a full apprenticeship at the University of Hawaii. He was 130kgs surfed played 1st grade cricket etc. big guy by normal but not NFL standards and a top athlete. Even then the nfl were picking up Tongans and Samoans for their natural size and explosive power. They want explosive power not cardio from the big boys so a guy like Taniela Tupou would have been good if picked up young enough. He has fast twitch and they’d bulk the little lad up and give him something to do. soccer teams set up academies and look for Over Sara’s talent eg Messi was at Barcelona since a teenager and harry kewell went to Leeds as a teenager like 16 or something.
11 Go to commentsThe article alludes to the fact that this isn’t about picking a captain. But picking a great captain. So who would make for a great All Black captain - not just an obvious or safe shoo-in? I’m not sure Ardie’s the guy and Barret doesn’t stand out either.
23 Go to commentsI guess we may all agree on the fact, that the ABs and Boks are the two in contest for No 1 in rugby history (the triple-A sort of) …. the Wallabies, England and France are the next tier, with Ireland being the new kid in town (AA) …. in my view it makes little sense creating imaginary competitions (unless you have too much time to waste)
45 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
5 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
45 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
42 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
42 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
42 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
45 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
5 Go to comments