Club game sinks big Al Baxter's hopes of a Wallabies jersey
By Jon Geddes
June 24, 2010 Al Baxter's hopes of forcing his way back into the Wallabies squad suffered a major setback with the news he will be sidelined for the next nine weeks with a neck injury suffered in a club game.
Australia most capped front rower was hurt in the final scrum while playing for Northern Suburbs in last Saturday's game against Warringah at Narrabeen.
"It's very disappointing and so annoying; I was feeling so good after Super 14," the New South Wales Waratahs stalwart said. Baxter said he felt a burn down his arm and "thought it was just a stinger and in one or two weeks, I would be sweet".
But a scan on Sunday revealed the 69-Test veteran prop had injured a disc and pinched a nerve.
"I'm just waiting for it to settle down and then I will get into the rehab," he said.
While Baxter was overlooked for the 30-man Wallabies squad for the recent domestic Tests against Fiji, England and Ireland, he has not given up on his goal of a recall to the Test arena.
And Wallabies coach Robbie Deans took the courtesy of contacting Baxter to tell him he was not out of the picture.
His hopes of playing for Norths again this season to push his credentials with Deans will now rest on the side making the Shute Shield semi-finals. However, the positive news is that the injury won't affect his long-term playing career with the Waratahs.
His powerful front-row combination with Benn Robinson and Tatafu Polota-Nau laid the platform up front in the Waratahs' surge to the Super 14 finals this year.
Baxter will stay involved by helping out with the coaching of the young Norths side.
