Rugby Championship Injured XV: ‘Huge miss’ for All Blacks in ‘problem area’ while ‘superb’ Springbok absent
All Blacks scrum-half Cam Roigard will miss the early Rugby Championship rounds.
With the Rugby Championship looming it’s a race against time for teams to get their ducks in a row, but for some players they will miss the early action due to injury.
Some are short-term absentees while other players are set for longer stints out of the game and we’ve compiled a line-up of sidelined stars to make up our Injured XV.
Rugby Championship Injured XV
15 Stephen Perofeta (New Zealand)
Calf problems have frustrated the versatile playmaker and Perofeta therefore misses at least the first two weeks of the competition as his Test career remains on hold.
14 Harry Potter (Australia)
Suffered a hamstring injury in the second Test against the British & Irish Lions and it’s unclear when he’ll return. Has a tough job reclaiming his shirt when he does.
13 Emiliano Boffelli (Argentina)
A positional shift due largely to a lack of centres being sidelined as we move the talented injury-hit Pumas star into midfield where he would no doubt do a great job.
12 Noah Lolesio (Australia)
Another move from their usual position but Lolesio has played inside centre in his career. Surgery on a neck injury rules him out and we wish him well in his recovery.
11 Caleb Clarke (New Zealand)
An ankle issue sustained in training during the France series means Clarke will miss the early part of the championship which opens the door to other All Blacks wings.
10 Tom Lynagh (Australia)
The fallout from his concussion has dominated the headlines as Lions star Dan Sheehan was subsequently banned. Unfortunately for Lynagh he misses the Bok Tests.
9 Cam Roigard (New Zealand)
The All Blacks’ problem area in terms of injuries as both Roigard and Noah Hotham are sidelined, with the former a huge miss. Jake Gordon is also out for the Wallabies.
The forwards
8 Cameron Hanekom (South Africa)
Surgery on a knee injury suffered in June has kept the superb back-row out of action in a cruel blow for the player. He would have seen plenty of Test minutes otherwise.
7 Benjamín Grondona (Argentina)
Deon Fourie is also absent for the Springboks but Grondona’s absence for Los Pumas is a big blow as they look to build on a promising Rugby Championship last season.
6 Luke Jacobson (New Zealand)
Injury has hampered this versatile New Zealander’s rugby career and unfortunately for Jacobson it has been confirmed that he did not travel with the squad to Argentina.
5 Elrigh Louw (South Africa)
Another positional tweak here although Louw has played lock in his career. He damaged ligaments in his knee and also broke his leg while on duty for the Bulls in March.
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4 Jean Kleyn (South Africa)
An undisclosed injury saw the Springboks lock return to Munster for treatment in June and he wasn’t in Rassie Erasmus’ 37 for the opening Rugby Championship rounds.
3 Tyrel Lomax (New Zealand)
Lomax (hand) is a big miss for New Zealand, as is Allan Alaalatoa (shoulder) for Australia. Meanwhile, Frans Malherbe isn’t expected to play for the Springboks this year.
2 Matt Faessler (Australia)
Australia’s injury list continues in the hooking department where Faessler remains out with a calf problem. Asafo Aumua meanwhile remains absent for Scott Robertson.
1 Gerhard Steenekamp (South Africa)
Last but by no means least, there were four options to pick here as Thomas Gallo, Ofa Tu’ungafasi and Tamaiti Williams join our chosen Bok Steenekamp in being injured.