Just when you thought the All Blacks' scrumhalf saga couldn't get any more dramatic, along hobbles Kyle Preston, the latest to join the walking wounded. During a routine training session at North Harbour Stadium, the uncapped No. 9 suffered an injury to his right ankle. There he was, one moment nipping around the field, the next minute grimacing in pain on the sidelines.
Observers noted Preston receiving some urgent TLC for what initially appeared to be a more serious injury. However, it turned out to be "just a cut on the ankle," a team spokesperson later mentioned, possibly downplaying the drama. Regardless, it's another headache for a team already navigating a scrumhalf shortage like a bad episode of reality TV.
With first-choice Cam Roigard nursing a stress fracture and Noah Hotham sidelined post-ankle surgery, the timing is less than ideal. Cortez Ratima, another option, is himself barely held together, dealing with a rib fracture but still managed to train, prompting Assistant Coach Scott Hansen to remark about his resilience.
"Cortez is a brave, young man."
Indeed, bravery might be the theme of the week for the All Blacks as they prepare to face the Springboks. Should Ratima's rib decide it's not game day ready, Finlay Christie will likely step up to start, leaving a possibly patched-up Preston or the fresh-faced Xavier Roe, who just joined the squad, to warm the bench.
The stakes are high and the bodies are bruised, but as they say in rugby, the game doesn't care about your injury list. The All Blacks will just have to hope their patched-up lineup can withstand the impending Bok storm at the fortress that is Eden Park this Saturday.
There's never a dull moment in rugby, and certainly not when it comes to the nerve-wracking carousel of scrumhalf selections for the All Blacks. As they say, the show must go on, even if it's on crutches!
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Just when you thought the All Blacks' scrumhalf saga couldn't get any more dramatic, along hobbles Kyle Preston, the latest to join the walking wounded. During a routine training session at North Harbour Stadium, the uncapped No. 9 suffered an injury to his right ankle. There he was, one moment nipping around the field, the next minute grimacing in pain on the sidelines.
Observers noted Preston receiving some urgent TLC for what initially appeared to be a more serious injury. However, it turned out to be "just a cut on the ankle," a team spokesperson later mentioned, possibly downplaying the drama. Regardless, it's another headache for a team already navigating a scrumhalf shortage like a bad episode of reality TV.
With first-choice Cam Roigard nursing a stress fracture and Noah Hotham sidelined post-ankle surgery, the timing is less than ideal. Cortez Ratima, another option, is himself barely held together, dealing with a rib fracture but still managed to train, prompting Assistant Coach Scott Hansen to remark about his resilience.
"Cortez is a brave, young man."
Indeed, bravery might be the theme of the week for the All Blacks as they prepare to face the Springboks. Should Ratima's rib decide it's not game day ready, Finlay Christie will likely step up to start, leaving a possibly patched-up Preston or the fresh-faced Xavier Roe, who just joined the squad, to warm the bench.
The stakes are high and the bodies are bruised, but as they say in rugby, the game doesn't care about your injury list. The All Blacks will just have to hope their patched-up lineup can withstand the impending Bok storm at the fortress that is Eden Park this Saturday.
There's never a dull moment in rugby, and certainly not when it comes to the nerve-wracking carousel of scrumhalf selections for the All Blacks. As they say, the show must go on, even if it's on crutches!