All Blacks' scrum-half Noah Hotham is on the mend but will miss the initial matches of the Rugby Championship following an ankle injury that occurred during a clash against France. The injury, which happened in the final moments as New Zealand clinched a 29-19 victory, forced Hotham to undergo surgery, sidelining him for the upcoming fixtures in Argentina against Los Pumas.
Hotham, who has only a pair of caps for New Zealand, was keen to impress but now faces a recovery period. He shared,
"Six to eight-ish weeks,"
indicating his potential return could align with the All Blacks' Bledisloe Cup games against Australia in late September and early October. Despite the setback, Hotham remains optimistic about his rehabilitation progress, though he has not yet resumed running.The injury has not only been a blow for Hotham but also for the All Blacks, as they are also without their first-choice scrum-half, Cam Roigard, who is dealing with a stress fracture. This situation has paved the way for Cortez Ratima to start, with either Finlay Christie or Kyle Preston likely to warm the bench. Hotham recalled the incident leading to his injury, saying,
"In the 80th minute actually. I ran a little bit, dummied, got through a half-gap and then one of their props tackled me from behind, and my foot just caught underneath him,"
describing the moment as simply "unfortunate."As the young player focuses on his recovery, the All Blacks are adjusting their lineup to maintain their competitive edge in the championship. Hotham's goal is clear as he plans to "start speeding things up" in a couple of weeks, aiming to make a comeback by the end of the championship, providing a much-needed boost to the team's roster as they vie for supremacy in the southern hemisphere's premier rugby competition.