'We thought the tibia was off': Le Roux Malan as All Black centre visits

Rugby showed its softer side on Monday when All Black centre Anton Lienert-Brown took the time to visit Namibia’s injury-stricken centre Le Roux Malan in hospital.

Lienert-Brown visited Malan in hospital after the Namibia centre suffered a serious injury in the teams’ Pool A match on Friday night.

Malan suffered a fractured and dislocated ankle injury in the first half of his side’s 71-3 Rugby World Cup loss at the Stadium de Toulouse. Play was halted for several minutes while he received treatment and he left the pitch to a rousing ovation from the crowd and his fellow players.

Three days later, with Malan having undergone successful surgery, fellow centre Lienert-Brown was by his bedside, where he gifted Malan a signed All Blacks shirt.

Speaking to Lienert-Brown, 24-year-old Malan gave an update on the injury. “It turned out to be so much better than we initially thought. We thought the tibia was off but it’s only four to six months, which is unreal,” he said.

“My left foot slid and I think my right foot was caught in the ground already, so when I made that initial contact with Beauden (Barrett) it just basically snapped. It’s a freak injury.”

As well as discussing the injury, Lienert-Brown and Malan watched some of the Australia-Fiji match together. “I appreciate this so much bro, seriously,” Malan said.

Lienert-Brown added: “For someone like me who has been through shoulder surgery, I definitely feel his pain. When you’re passionate and driven about a sport you love, when it’s stopped for six months like that it can be tough.

“But it’s good to see he is in awesome spirits. [There’s] that mutual respect between both teams.”