Six rounds down, eleven to go until finals. The #CasualtyWard is back with another instalment to keep you up to date with everything happening behind the scenes on the injury front.

Returned from Injuries in Rd 6:

Ryan Crotty (Crusaders) – Started at 12 after his concussion.
Sam Whitelock (Crusaders) – Started at lock after his Rd 4 concussion.
Tom Sanders (Crusaders) – Made his comeback via the bench from a fractured ankle in the preseason.
Jeffery Toomaga-Allen (Hurricanes) – Came back via the bench from a hamstring Injury.
Toni Pulu (Chiefs) – Started for the first time this year against the Sunwolves.
Taleni Seu (Chiefs) – Made his comeback this week in the 8 jersey from a thigh injury
Ofa Tu’ungafasi (Blues) – All Blacks rest week.
Matt Duffie (Blues) – All Blacks rest week.

Angus Cottrell (Rebels) – Missed last week with the flu but got pushed straight back into the starting side at No. 6.
Scott Higginbotham (Reds) – Made his comeback off the bench after finishing his 3 game ban.
Jono Lance (Reds) – Didn’t seem too bothered by last weeks concussion as he started at flyhalf.
Tim Lafaele (Sunwolves) – Named at outside centre after recovering from his Concussion.
Yu Tamura (Sunwolves) – Back from his left knee meniscal tear. Started in the 10 jersey.

BEAST (Sharks) – Pulled out pregame last week with a groin injury. Started against the Rebels this week.
Travis Ismael (Bulls) – Recovered from his concussion to play this week.
Ramiro Moyano (Jaguares) – Tore his hamstring after Rd 1. Came off the bench for the Jaguares. A role i expect him to keep.
Jerónimo de la Fuente (Jaguares) – Came back on the bench this week from a muscle tear. No idea if he will start next week or if Ezcurra will again be preferred in the 12 jersey ahead of him.

Taleni Seu tackles Michael Leitch (credit to Getty Images)

New Injuries Rd 6:

Sam Whitelock (Crusaders) – Taken off as a precaution. Apparently he is fine.
Ryan Crotty (Crusaders) – Taken off for a head assessment but passed after the game.
Ardie Savea (Hurricanes) – Came off with what looked like some very sore ribs!
Michael Allardice (Chiefs) – Picked up a groin injury two days before the game. Cooper decided to rest him last week in the hope that he would be right for rd 7.

Taniela Tupou (Reds) – Has bee.n cited for a horrible no-arms tackle on Stormers wing Craig Barry.  Tupou used no arms and made forceful impact to the neck and head area of Barry. He will surely miss at least a few weeks.
Koutaro Matsushima (Sunwolves) – Pulled mid week before Rd 6 with an adductor muscle fasciitis. Will miss 1-2 weeks.
Will Tupou (Sunwolves) – Pulled mid week with a thigh contusion (bruising). Expected to be out for 2-3 weeks.

JJ Engelbrecht (Stormers) – Pulled pregame with a quad injury.
Dillyn Leyds (Stormers) – Pulled out mid week with a grade 1 calf tear. Should be right for Rd 7.

Dewaldt Duvenage (Stormers) – Came off with a rib injury. No word on timeframes yet.
Jacques Vermeulen (Sharks) – Copped a two week suspension for dangerous play so we won’t see him again until round 9.

Likely back for this week (Rd 7):

Vaea Fifita (Hurricanes) – Missed round 6 with a minor shoulder injury. Sounds like he is likely to play this week.
Wes Goosen (Hurricanes) – Missed out on the last few weeks with an ankle injury. Should be back very soon.
Tiaan Falcon (Chiefs) – Carrying “a niggle” so didn’t play rd 6. Who knows if he will be preferred this week but it sounds like everyone including the Chiefs coaching staff want Damien at 10.
Charlie Ngatai (Chiefs) – Medial knee ligament. The coach expects him back for Rd 7!
Leni Apisai (Blues) – Concussion in Rd 5. Likely fine after their bye this week.
Alex Hodgman (Blues) – Injured his arm in rd 5 and has been flown home because he “won’t be fit for this week”. To me that sounds like he is a decent chance for rd 7.
Mike Delany (Crusaders) – Named as the backup fly half for the rd 7-8 tour after recovering from his knee injury.
Matt Todd (Crusaders) – Rib injury. Going on tour so i’m expecting he will play this week.
Seta Tamanivalu (Crusaders) – Missed rd 6 with a groin strain. Has recovered for this weeks tour.

Ongoing Injury List:

NEW ZEALAND
Highlanders
Richard Buckman – Aggravated an old neck injury – The medical team has said they will let the injury settle until after Rd 4 and then reassess him.
James Lentjes –  Shoulder injury in last preseason game – back in April
Thomas Umaga-Jensen – Shoulder injury.
Dan Pryor – Hamstring injury.
Liam Squire – Fractured his thumb and will be out for up to six weeks. Back between rounds 9-11.

Hurricanes
Dane Coles – ACL Start of December, return in “4-6 months” so probably getting a synthetic LARS graft. These have higher rupture rates. So he has a higher risk of reinjury and will probably be undercooked on return. AVOID.
Nehe Milner-Skudder – Shoulder reconstruction – Back in May.
Alex Fidow – Injured against the Jaguares, not sure what he has done.
Toby Smith – Came off for a blood bin  in Rd 2 but did not return. Chris Boyd was “Not sure” if he would play in Rd 3 (he didn’t), so we expect him back this week.

Chiefs
Chiefs All Blacks all to miss the May 20th game against the Sharks while in camp.
Mitchell Graham – Out for first 6 weeks, had screws removed from old leg fracture operation
Nepo Laulala – Fractured left forearm requiring surgery. Out for 8-12 weeks (30th April to 28th May).
Dominic Bird – Came off with a shoulder and had his arm in a sling in round 2. His shoulder is still being assessed at this stage.
Kane Hames – Still no more info about his “mystery illness”.
Shaun Stevenson – Injured his knee in the Rd 3 pregame warm up. UPDATE before Rd 6 – He has had a clean up (arthroscopy) and is expected out for 4-6 weeks (roughly 15-29th April).
Sam McNicol – Recurrent Concussions – going through the normal protocols but who knows when he will be back.

Crusaders
Owen Franks – Achilles rupture in September for NZ-  Targeting 21st April (Rd 10)
Israel Dagg – Knee Injury from 2017. Targeting 21st April Rd 10
Joe Moody  – Shoulder injury – Targeting 21st April Rd 10
Kieran Read – Coming back from 2017 back surgery. Originally tipped to play in Rd 10 after their bye it is not looking very ujnlikely. Apparently now no official date can be given on his return. Not good!
Richie Mo’unga – Broken jaw which required surgery. Should be out for 6-8 weeks (Rds 10-11). Sounds like he is a good chance to play round 10.
Pete Samu – Came off in Rd 3 with a shoulder injury. Has been left at home for the 2 game tour starting in Rd 7 so we won’t see him until after the bye in rd 10.

Blues
Blake Gibson – Shoulder injury, Likely still 7 weeks away (7/3/18) so roughly round 11.
Dalton Papali’i (Blues) – Ruled out for six weeks with a hand fracture. Potentially back Rd 7 against the Sharks.
Matt Moulds – Knee
Kara Pryor – Ankle
Isaac Salmon – Elbow
Glenn Preston – Limped off with a calf tear. Likely back after the bye to play Rd 7.
Augustine Pulu – Came off with a foot injury. Expected to be out for 5-6 weeks which puts his return around Rds 9-10.
Sonny Bill Williams – Fractured his wrist in rd 5. out for 6-8 weeks so should be back between Rd 11-14.

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Credit to Getty Images

AUSTRALIA
Waratahs
Jack Dempsey – Hamstring Injury – Back week 9

Brumbies
Rob Valentini – Medial ligament (knee) injury – Had surgery 28th Feb. Hopefully 6-8 weeks. Could be gone for 12 weeks! This would have his comeback date set at Round 14 away to the Lions.

Reds
Karmichael Hunt – UPDATE: Given a 4 game suspension after his drug trial that as of round 6 has finished. He will need to get some training sessions under his belt but he could be back as early as round 7.
George Smith – Back surgery – back April 7th against Brumbies In Rd 8
Quade Cooper – unwanted by reds but still contracted – unlikely to see him play this season.
Izaia Perese – Partially torn his ACL against their trial against Fiji. Hopefully back for round 8 at the earliest. Beware, rehab times for partial ACL’s are not an exact science!
Lukhan Tui – Tip tackle on Genia and then drove him into the ground. Copped a 3 game ban (back Rd 6). UPDATE: didn’t go on tour so won’t play until after the Rd 7 bye.

Rebels
Nil

SOUTH AFRICA
Sharks
Leolin Zas – Not coming back well from injury – flown to Switzerland to try and get better.
Dan Du Preez – Shoulder ligament injury in Rd 1. Meant to be reassessed for round 5 but now will miss the Australasian tour. Expected back Rd 9.
Philip van der Walt – Ankle ligament sprain before Rd 3, will miss the Australasian tour. Maybe back Rd 9.
Jeremy Ward – Not on tour, will miss the Australasian tour so out until at least Rd 9.
Michael Claassens – Not on tour, will miss the Australasian tour so out until at least Rd 9.
Andre Esterhuizen – Came off in rd 5 with a right ankle injury. He looked sore which might suggest he would be out for 4-6 weeks but the media have not suggested that yet.

Stormers
Frans Malherbe – Neck Injury – no return date set (as of 15th Feb) – at least missing until after the tour (Rd 5) but making “good progress”. Back in full training.
Jean-Luc du Plessis – Groin operation on Dec 1st. Now back into full training and should be available within the next couple of weeks (7/3/18). Back in full training.
Eben Etzebeth – Shoulder nerve injury, UPDATE 20th March: Rehab is on schedule, aiming to be back in round 12. He is also rehabbing an old back injury.
Bongi Mbonambi – Burst appendix before Rd 1 – was expected to play Rd 5 but he has had a further operation and now won’t  be able to train for another 3 months! This means we might see him from early June at the earliest.
JD Schickerling – Suffered a torn pectoral muscle against the Crusaders, has been flown home from the tour. Out for four months (Early July).
Juarno Augustus – progressing well from a long term injury.
Seabelo Senatla – Tore his groin  in round 3. Out for six weeks.
Sergeal Petersen – Injured his MCL (knee) up for Western Province & has been sidelined for four months.  Could be back around the international window.

Lions
Courtnall Skosan – ACL in January – Originally gone until start of July/Aug at earliest – now saying ~10weeks so could be back mid April. This only works if they are planning on not reconstructing his ACL, which is a huge risk in rugby union. Avoid him like the plague!
Ruan Combrinck – Shoulder surgery – return Mid April
Warren Whiteley – Left knee Grade 2 PCL injury in Rd 4. Expected to be out for a month which could put him out until after their Rd 9 bye.

Bulls
Ruan Steenkamp – Knee – back mid feb? No news is coming out..
Jamba Ulengo – Ongoing Patella Tendon issue- Had a small operation in Sweden and now expected to be out for 8 weeks (16th April). This would be Rd 10 after their bye.
Franco Naude – Undergone shoulder surgery and will be out for four months from Rd 2 –
Roughly Rd 15.
Nicholas De Jager – Fractured rib in Rd 4 – should be out for four to six weeks.
RG Snyman – Facial fracture in rd 5, has been flown home and will miss 4-6 weeks which puts him back between rounds 9 and 11.
Conrad Van Vuuren – Cited after Rd 5 for a swinging arm to the head of Damien McKenzie. Will miss 3 weeks so he should be available in round 9.

ARGENTINA/JAPAN
Jaguares
Tomás Cubelli – Fractured neck vertebra, back end of april/start of may
Matías Moroni – Shoulder operation – back early april?
Tomás Lezana – UPDATE 9th March they announced he was having an operation that would keep him out for two months.

Sunwolves
Kenki Fukuoka – Injured for 4 weeks – Recovering from knee surgery. This was announced weeks ago so he is surely back soon
Sam Wykes – “Severe concussion”, will go through the protocols to play but isn’t on tour, wont play until Rd 6.
Shinya Makabe – Sprained ankle. No word on a return date.
Gerhard Van Den Heever – Groin pain – being managed.
Jason Emery – Surgery for a broken thumb on Thursday 1st March out for 8-10 weeks.
Hayden Parker – Hamstring tear/ knee injury? I’m hearing different things. Isn’t on tour, wont play until Rd 6.
Jaba Bregvadeze – Knee injury Rd 2. Should play Rd 8 after the bye.

Embed from Getty Images
Credit to Getty images

OUT FOR THE SEASON:

Otere Black (Blues) – ACL reconstruction
Reggie Goodes (Hurricanes) – Retired due to concussion
Tim Nanai-Williams (Chiefs) – Injured shoulder in final trial against Brumbies – having surgery and will be out for the season.
Atu Moli (Chiefs) – Had a complication with a quad haematoma which required surgery. Ruled out for the season.
Mitchell Brown (Chiefs) – Ruptured ACL after round 5, had an operation and out for the season.
Fin Hoeata (Chiefs) – His shoulder needs a reconstruction so he will be out for the season.

Nick Frisby (Reds) – His services will not be needed.
Markus Vanzati (Reds) – His services will not be needed.
Ben McCalman (Waratahs) – 4th Fractured Scapula (Shoulder blade) in 2 years, Waratahs want a medical before signing him. Looks like they didn’t end up signing him.
Josh Mann-Rea (Brumbies) – Tore his hamstring off the bone in round 4, has now had surgery and will be out for the season.

Coenie Oosthuizen (Sharks) – ACL reconstruction
Jaco Kriel (Lions) – Off season shoulder op – was expected back for Rd 4 but reinjured his shoulder, is having ANOTHER operation and is expected out for a further six months! Looks like he is done for the season.
Rudy Paige (Bulls) – cut from the squad
Enrique Pieretto (Jaguares) – ACL Reconstruction

Have we missed something? Drop a comment or tweet and let us know.

Written by Harrison Dale