Injury updates, suspensions, and call-ups ahead of this week’s tests.
All Blacks flanker Adam Thomson has been suspended for one week for his boot on the head of Alasdair Strokosch. He will miss the Italy test this weekend. Though the length of the suspension is probably in line with the severity of the incident, Thomson should consider himself lucky to not be sent home. Any intentional contact of the boot to a head of an opponent should be dealt with harshly and only one week seems a bit light.
Australian lock Rob Simmons, on the other hand, has been suspended for eight weeks after his tip-tackle on Yannick Nyanga. He will miss the remainder of the November series. A four week suspension would have sufficed in this instance, but the result is the same and the citing commissioners have probably got this one right.
The Wallabies will also be without Kane Douglas this weekend. The big lock will stay in London with his mother who has been hospitalised following a stroke. The return of David Pocock will also be put off by at least another week as he has yet to recover from his knee injury suffered in the first week of the Rugby Championship.
Wales have lost Alun Wyn Jones and Josh Turnbull for the remainder of the test series. Jones damaged his shoulder early against Argentina and could be out for some time. Turnbull twisted a knee and is out for four weeks. In better news, it looks like Jamie Roberts and Ryan Jones will be fit in time to play Samoa, and Luke Charteris is back in the squad after club commitments ruled him out of the Pumas match.
Matt Evans and Sean White have been forced to withdraw from the Canadian touring party. Evans tore a quadriceps muscle and White has had a recurrence of the thumb injury that forced him to miss the first two ARC matches. Phil Mack, initially unavailable to tour because of school commitments, will now fly out to join the squad in Colwyn Bay. Jebb Sinclair will meet him there after finally clearing up his visa issues.
Worcester tighthead Euan Murray has been called up to the Scottish squad to play the Springboks on Saturday. A devoutly religious man, Murray was unavailable against the All Blacks as he does not play on Sundays.
EDIT – ADDITIONS:
Samoa’s ace goal-kicker James So’oialo has been suspended for three weeks following a rather innocuous shoulder charge incident against Canada. It seems a very harsh decision and Samoa will be appealing, but it won’t be heard in time for the Wales match. Setaimata Sa and Alafoti Fa’osiliva are also out of the match due to injury, but are hopeful of returning the following week against France.
More bad news for Australia as centre Pat McCabe will miss the England match with neck stiffness. At this point he is hopeful of recovering after a week’s rest but that seems like a best case scenario.
