All Blacks prop George Bower has been ruled out of rugby for the rest of the year with a knee injury.
The Crusaders’ loosehead prop ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the last minute of the Crusaders’ Super Rugby Pacific match against the Reds in Brisbane on March 31.
Like fellow All Black and Crusader Sevu Reece, Bower required season-ending surgery and won’t be available for this year’s World Cup in France.
“He had an operation last week, successful. He had an ACL reconstruction. He’s mending well, both him and Sevu are together on the rehab,” Crusaders coach Scott Robertson said before the team departed for Melbourne ahead of their game against the Rebels on Friday night.
Lock Mitchell Dunshea (chest) and highly touted hooker George Bell (ankle) are also done for the season.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom for the reigning champions, whose staggering injury toll hit 17 ahead of their bye, forcing them to utilise 40 players through their first seven games.
Lock Sam Whitelock (hand) and loose forward Cullen Grace (shoulder) will return to action against the Rebels on Friday night.
Named on the bench, loose forward Grace hasn’t played since he was forced out of the team’s season-opening loss to the Chiefs inside 10 minutes with a shoulder injury, while Whitelock will start alongside captain Scott Barrett after being sidelined since fracturing his hand in the team’s narrow win over the Blues on March 18.
“Cullen is great, when he first got the injury he thought it was going to be a lot longer, so he’s been excited, he will bring a lot of energy off the bench and Sam is Sam. You know what he’s like, he’d play every minute of every game if he could. For him being on the sideline has been quite tough,” Robertson said.
He also confirmed fullback Will Jordan, who has yet to play this year due to a lingering migraine related illness, was “very close” to making his debut this week.
However, while he’s training with the team and has taken part in their warm-ups in recent weeks, the 25-year-old’s first appearance will have to wait at least another week.
“It’s week by week, especially with someone that has had this for a period of time,” Robertson said when asked if he’d be comfortable asking him to debut against the Chiefs next week.
“You just work with them. It’s new, a unique situation from a health point of view, and you just respect the week that’s in front of you. He wasn’t quite ready this week.”
Crusaders: Fergus Burke, Pepesana Patafilo, Braydon Ennor, David Havili, Macca Springer, Richie Mo’unga, Mitchell Drummond, Christian Lio-Willie, Tom Christie, Dom Gardiner, Sam Whitelock, Scott Barrett, Tamaiti Williams, Codie Taylor, Joe Moody. Reserves: Brodie McAlister, Finlay Brewis, Seb Calder, Quinten Strange, Cullen Grace, Willi Heinz, Jack Goodhue, Dallas McLeod.
Rebels: TBC
