Deans places cavalry on standby Greg Growden
September 25, 2011.
WELLINGTON: The Wallabies will not decide until at least tomorrow whether they will call for replacements after suffering a hideous injury toll from their comprehensive 67-5 win over the United States on Friday night.
Five players - centres Rob Horne, Pat McCabe and Anthony Fainga'a, No.8 Wycliff Palu and fullback Kurtley Beale - were hurt during the game, but Wallabies coach Robbie Deans believes the carnage might not be as dramatic as first anticipated.
The most critical injury is that of Horne, who fractured his cheekbone in the opening tackle of the match, but played until the 48th minute. It had been thought that he would be forced home, but he could still stay with the 30-man Wallabies squad, which yesterday moved camp to Hanmer Springs, near Christchurch on the South Island.
Advertisement: Story continues below Deans said Horne's fracture was ''only a minor displacement, so that's promising''.
''We will do some further investigation when we get to Christchurch, and make a decision when we know more about how we'll handle it,'' Deans said yesterday. ''We have to get the full picture first. Last night it was pretty terminal, but there is the possibility now the treatment may not involve surgery, which is a good start.''
Horne's face was puffed up, swollen and purple yesterday, indicating he will require a miracle to stay in New Zealand. McCabe originally dislocated his shoulder, but it went back in on Friday night, bringing hope that he will be available for the quarter-finals. He recently experienced something similar with the Brumbies and played the following week. Fainga'a was knocked out in the final minute of the game when tackling Chris Wyles and is expected to be sidelined for several weeks.
''Anthony has presented very well this morning,'' Deans said. ''He can recall everything, including the moments leading up to the tackle, which is a great sign. We'll monitor him. This is not something we mess around with. We will ensure that he is fully recovered before he re-enters the fray.''
Palu is in doubt for Saturday's final pool match against Russia in Nelson with a hamstring strain, while Beale's hamstring tightening is not regarded as serious. When asked if he would call for replacements, Deans said he and his staff would not decide for at least 48 hours. Any replacement was likely to come from the original 40-man training squad, which gives Matt Giteau hope of receiving an SOS. Other options include Ben Tapuai and Luke Morahan.
''We've trained with 40 players earlier in the year, so it's pretty evident where we will be looking to,'' Deans said.
Asked if Giteau was in the frame, Deans replied: ''He's obviously in the frame for a potential call-up. He was in the 40-man squad.''
James O'Connor, who missed the match with a hamstring, is expected to be available for the Russian game, as will back-rower Scott Higginbotham, who has a back complaint. David Pocock is likely to miss his third match in a row with a lower back strain, while winger Digby Ioane, who is recovering from a fractured thumb, is in line to return for the quarter-finals.
Apart from the casualties, Deans was delighted that his team regained their form against USA, scoring 11 tries in the process.
''The boys turned up and maintained their intensity,'' Deans said. ''People look at the scoreboard and could suggest that some of these fixtures are supposedly easy. But you only have to look at the carnage to recognise that's not the case.
''The conditioning of every World Cup side is good, so there's no easy route to the try line. And even when you get to the try line, you take a few knocks along the way. The players' mentality was good. The structure in their game improved, but we weren't perfect. We struggled to maintain ball on occasions.''
