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Waratahs superstar ruled out for up to a month

By Online Editors
Israel Folau Injury

The Waratahs have suffered a crucial injury to Wallabies superstar Israel Folau that will sideline him for up to four weeks after he limped off early with a hamstring injury against the Brumbies.

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“They’ve had a scan. I believe it’s more muscular than tendon-based and it’s going to be four weeks at this stage,” Waratahs attack coach Chris Malone said.

The team is confident they have the personnel to keep their season rolling, with replacement Alex Newsome playing well in Folau’s place on Saturday.

“Alex Newsome came on and played for most of that game and played really well so he’s a genuine option.

‘You’ve got Cam Clark coming back from injury.

“Obviously Bryce Hegarty (is) playing 15 and going well so there’s a few options for us in those wide channels.”

The Waratahs will be hoping that Folau will be able to return before a daunting stretch during May that sees the Sydneysiders face four New Zealand teams in a row.

The team travels to Japan to play the Sunwolves in Tokyo before returning home to play the Reds and Lions. They will also be without current Wallaby halfback Nick Phipps who is still recovering from a calf injury.

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“It’s pretty frustrating for him. Phippsy (looking at) his face, he’s not a happy man, but unfortunately that’s just what we’ve got to do to make sure that he lasts the whole season.”

The Waratahs will look to rely on other players in attack, such as Fijian winger Taqele Naiyaravoro who has hit a purple patch in form, scoring a double in his last two games.

Malone heaped praise on what the big man brings to the Tahs.

“He gives us line bend. He gets to the gain line quite well off set-piece,” he said.

“He’s a big bit of meat but when he gets his timing right he’s hard in motion to stop.

“He knows there’s areas to work on but he’s a weapon. He does some damage.”

 

 

 

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Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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