Wednesday’s rugby news has McCabe’s career threatened, Godwin recovered, Hooper winning a Tahs award and Matfield back in the Springboks squad.
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McCabe advised to retire
Injured Wallaby Pat McCabe has been advised to retire from rugby once again after suffering his third neck injury in less then two years. McCabe was forced from the field during the second half of Saturday’s second Bledisloe Cup Test. Ewen McKenzie has said that initial scans suggested a recurrence of the two C1 neck fractures that wiped out the bulk of his 2012 and 2013 seasons.
The injury will be a massive blow for the Brumbies winger as it appears that he was negotiating a $2 million deal to move to an unconfirmed French club at the end of his contract with the ARU in 2015. [/one_half]
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Godwin back on the park
Rising star Kyle Godwin will make his long-awaited return on Sunday when he plays for the Perth Spirit in their NRC clash with Brisbane City. Godwin was slated as a future Wallaby but has suffered a terrible run of injuries of late, missing his chance to play on the 2013 Spring Tour after undergoing shoulder reconstruction, before spending three months on the sidelines with a knee injury this year.
While Ewen McKenzie is looking at making a number of changes to the Test team after their humiliating 51-20 loss to the All-Blacks, Godwin is focusing on actually getting an NRC spot first, before pushing on to the Force. [/one_half]
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Hooper win Tahs award
Wallabies captain Michael Hooper has won his second straight NSW Players Player of the Year award on Tuesday. Hooper won 277 votes in leading the Tahs to their maiden Super Rugby title, just ahead of number eight Wycliff Palu (257).
Palu won the Waratahs Forward of the Year, while hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau (219) was third in the forward-dominated poll. Outside centre Adam Ashley-Cooper (162) finished fourth and won the Best Back award. [/one_half]
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Matfield rejoins squad
Victor Matfield has recovered from a knee injury to be named in the Springboks’ 30-man squad to face Australia and New Zealand in the next round of the Rugby Championship. “Victor showed he can still add a lot of value when he returned to the Bok fold earlier this year,” Springboks coach Heyneke Meyer said.
Second ranked South Africa was hoping to close the gap on the All Blacks this season, but produced stuttering performances in their first two championship matches while New Zealand have recently dismantled Australia. [/one_half]
