Tuesday’s rugby news has McCalman out, the Brumbies confident, Folau responding to the weekend’s foul play and a major injury concern for the Springboks.
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McCalman fractures cheekbone
Western Force star Ben McCalman will miss the team’s last game of the season after fracturing his cheekbone in the Force’s 33-20 loss to the Brumbies on Friday. McCalman, who has played 38 tests for the Wallabies, will face a nervous rehabilitation period as he tries to prove his fitness in time for the Rugby World Cup in September.
Force coach Michael Foley nevertheless expressed his optimism for the back-rower’s World Cup prospects. “He will be impacted going into the first part of the international season, but certainly not overall and certainly not into the World Cup,” Foley said.
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Brumbies can win from anywhere
Although the team’s focus is well and truly on winning this week against the Crusaders, Wallabies prop Ben Alexander says the Brumbies can win the Super Rugby title regardless of where they finish in the top six. The Brumbies and the Tahs are currently both on 47 competition points but in the result of a tie, the ‘Tahs will win the Australian conference because they’ve won one more game.
With the Super Rugby top six being so close, the Brumbies could finish anywhere from second to sixth depending on this weekend’s results. Meanwhile, the Brumbies have signed versatile forward Albert Anae for two seasons to replace the departing Siliva Siliva.
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Folau responds to trip
Israel Folau has said that he immediately apologised for his display of anger after Rayno Benjamin’s attempted trip on the Wallaby back last Saturday. Benjamin lashed out with his foot to try and stop Folau as he went over for his hat-trick, while Folau said that he quickly moved on from the incident despite the possible consequences.
“I was very disappointed because it could break a guy’s leg,”coach Michael Cheika said, although he praised the decision of the referee on the weekend. “The referee took a good action. He took the time to look at [it] … he could have let it go because a try was scored.”
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Vermeulen in RWC doubt
Stormers and Springboks No.8 Duane Vermeulen is in doubt for the rest of the Super Rugby season and the Rugby World Cup in September due to a neck injury. Vermeulen was withdrawn from the Stormers team to play the Lions on Saturday after he was suffering from a severe neck spasm.
Stormers team doctor Jason Suter said that Vermeulen has a painful bulging disc so he see a neurosurgeon to determine what the extent of the injury is. If the injury requires an operation, the following long period of rehabilitation would likely force Vermuelen from the World Cup.
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