Big Blow for Hurricanes...

TOBY ROBSON

Cory Jane is set to miss the entire Hurricanes Super Rugby season after suffering a potentially season ending knee injury during training in Paraparaumu yesterday.

The All Blacks wing was carried off the training pitch yesterday and scans last night confirmed significant damage to his right Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL).

Though no time has yet been officially set on his rehabilitation the injury will likely mean at least three months on the sideline and more if it requires surgery.

An official release left that option open, but it appears certain after Jane tweeted tonight that he did need to go under the knife before vowing “I WILL BE BACK”.

The extent of that surgery will determine the next step in his recovery.

The 29-year-old was too upset to speak last night, but still donned the Zoro costume he had planned to wear to Wellington’s IRB Sevens tournament tweeting that it was "too good to waste" while watching the event on television from his couch.

The injury will cast a pall over the Hurricanes opening preseason match against the Crusaders in Timaru tomorrow.

The injury happened during an open training session at the Parparaumu Domain where he was carried from the field by a teammate and then seen on crutches in the club rooms shortly afterwards.

It is a cruel blow for the 41-test veteran who had only just rejoined his Super Rugby squad after his annual leave break following his stellar All Blacks season.

“It is devastating for Cory to have suffered this serious injury when he was looking so strong for this season following such a successful 2012. We know that CJ is focussed and dedicated to his rehabilitation. So he will be committed to working hard in his recovery to come back better and stronger,” coach Mark Hammett said.

“This is not the news we wanted to hear at the start of the season and we acknowledge the loss of a world-class player. However, we have a strong squad for 2013 and CJ’s misfortune means it’s an opportunity for another player to step up.”

It’s expected Jane will continue to play a strong leadership role and assist the Hurricanes management in this year’s competition.

“Cory’s energy, experience and public following means he still has a lot to give to the game and the team,” Mark Hammett said.

News of his injury will be a major concern for Hammett and his assistant Alama Ieremia who will now need a new first choice wing for the season opener against the Blues in February.

The Hurricanes players will digest the news as they board their charter flight south for the one day trip today.

His injury first came to light after a member of the public snapped a photograph of him being assisted from training by a teammate and posted it on twitter.

Jane told followers he “just needed a rest”, but it has proven far worse.

Other wing options in the Hurricanes squad include All Black Julian Savea, Alapati Leiua, Matt Proctor and Richard Buckman.

Hooker Dane Coles is the only current All Black in the Hurricanes squads taking part in the match which will be played over four quarters.

The Crusaders have taken a similar approach with Owen Franks, who will start the match at tight head prop, the only current All Black involved in the match.

Five players will make their first appearance for the Crusaders with Robbie Fruean interestingly starting at second five-eighth rather than his preferred position of centre.

Halfback Andy Ellis is on a powerful reserves bench that includes loose forwards Matt Todd and Luke Whitelock.

The match kicks off at 3pm.

- © Fairfax NZ News

Brycy its  sad when a player gets injured and I am sure you will   Miss Carol Jane.

We had a number of injuries last year and like Carol Jane we lost Schalk very early in the season. 

Brycy

Really bad news.  Knee injuries always worry me - they can be career- threatening, especially in the later stages of a career.  Hope it does not take him the full eason to recover.  

Hard luck Cory Jane but without trying to sound callous, it could be worse . . .  it could have been Andre Taylor or Julian Savea.

I know Jane is the one with all the All Black caps but I reckon if I was coach of the Hurricanes and someone said I had to choose only two of my starting outside backs for the season, I'd pick Savea and Taylor and I'd be saying bye bye Cory Jane.

That's not because I think Jane is crap, it's because I think Taylor and Savea are brilliant.

  Hurricanes are still a force to be reckoned with so any team underestimating them this year is in for a big shock.

Corey Jane was'nt gunna let his injury stop him from enjoying the Wellington Sevens though...

because of the realistic views i had of my boys to begin with, the news didnt impact me as much as it should on both a spXV and on the All Blacks level for that matter.

shame to see corey jane IMO the worlds best winger out of the equation, but both the hurricanes and the All Blacks are covered.

if anyone watched the ITM and got to see alapti leiua play, then the smart money says he will be janes successor for the canes, he was probably the best back in tne 2012 ITM, wicked turn of gas, a nice step and can do some serious damage with his defence, oponents are going to be in for a shock when they run into him

All Blacks level, im annoiting ben smith to be janes right wing successor, but with kahui in the equation and hansen getting the savea.gear combo sorted, janes unfortunate dilemma is not without its silver lining.

interesting comment from jalapeno and i would have to agree, savea and andre taylor would prob be more preferred, but i hope that andre dosent mecome a one season wonder, especially now that he can no longer fly under the radar. he will be targated heaps by the opponents, especially without safety officer jane in the back 3 equation to help him out

Sasuke, you Kiwis really do have outside backs to burn. Taylor doesn't even crack the extended All Black squad but he'd walk into the Springbok starting XV. The other Kiwi outside back I really rate is Ben Smith and it's pretty amazing to me that a player of his quality is not a regular All Black . . . but you do have Israel Dagg as well! You guys really do have astonishing depth when it comes to fullbacks and wings.

@jalapeno,

i guess the best kind of headache for any coach to have is a selection headache, so NZ are very fortunate to have such wicked depth. jane is still quite valuable and IMO i rate himas the best winger ion the world, but there players who will fill in the void, if not his particular skill sets.

i dont know if andre taylor would be a shoe in for the Boks, IMO the Boks dont really reward exciting attacking players as much as they should. i cant believe that doopies la grange was overlooked as many times as he was. i found him to be very ben smith like with his consistent game in game out performances.

i rate ben smith very highly, and ive picked him to be conrad smiths heir to the No13 when the times comes, his preferred position is fullback, but as long as dagg remains relatviely injury free, the No15 jersey is as good as locked up.
i can understand why ben smith isnt an All Black regular, but it really does look like its only a matter of time. for now i can understand him floating in and out and on the bench which is the wisest way to play him, similar to dagg when he first made the ABs

with jane gone im really hoping that both fruean and andre taylor have a great season, as i can see them playing out on the wing for the All Blacks, especially fruean. something about 100kg+ speedsters that i really like, savea/gear was an awesome combo last year against italy and i can picture savea/fruean being even better.
i think there are too many deficiencies in frueans game for him to make the All Blacks as a 13, but 2013 is new year so u never know.