New Zealand’s flanker Ardie Savea (R) is tackled by South Africa’s prop Trevor Nyakane during the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup Pool B match between New Zealand and South Africa at the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama on September 21, 2019. (Photo by Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP)
Ardie Savea to miss Hurricanes Super Rugby season
Ardie Savea faces a long spell on the sidelines having injured his knee during the Rugby World Cup and seems unlikely he will feature in Super Rugby.
New Zealand’s flanker Ardie Savea (R) is tackled by South Africa’s prop Trevor Nyakane during the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup Pool B match between New Zealand and South Africa at the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama on September 21, 2019. (Photo by Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP)
All Black loose forward Ardie Savea will miss the 2020 Super Rugby season as he needs to have surgery on an injured knee.
Savea picked up the injury at the Rugby World Cup and is expected to spend up to six months out of the game which could also place him in doubt for the Rugby Championship. The Flanker took a knock in the All Blacks semi-final defeat to England and didn’t play in the Bronze medal match against Wales.
All Blacks to miss Savea as well
The All Blacks face Wales and Scotland in mid-year Tests ahead of their bid to reclaim the Rugby Championship from the Springboks.
The Springboks face the All Blacks too often
The Hurricanes have already been deprived of some of their star power with the transfer of Beauden Barrett to the Auckland Blues.
Savea was among the nominees for the World Rugby player of the year award won by Pieter-Steph du Toit and had been set to shift to number eight to fill the gap left by All Black skipper Kieran Read’s retirment.
The injury to Savea could see Akira Ioane assume the All Black number 8 jersey with Read and Highlanders eighth-man Elliot Dixon off to Japan. Sam Cane debuted for the All Blacks at number eight but none of his subsequent 62 Test caps have come at the back of the scrum.
Savea revealed that he was to undergo surgery in an Instagram post.
“Thought I’d let you guys know that I’ll be getting surgery on my knee that I injured in the semifinal,” Savea wrote on the social media platform.
“Unfortunately will be out for 5-6 months so will miss the majority of the Super Rugby season with my Canes brothers.
“Pretty guttered when I found out even though I thought I’d be sweet if something like this happened. I’m good now just been partying and relaxing and now will wait for surgery.”
A long injury lay-off
The Super Rugby season kicks off on 31 January, with the round-robin section concluding on 30 May, even if the Hurricanes make the playoffs it seems unlikely that Savea will wear the black and gold in 2020.
Savea’s absence will provide the interestingly named Du’Plessis Kirifi with an opportunity to impress for the Hurricanes. Kirifi’s father Jack named him after former Western Province loose forward Morne du Plessis, and the name proved somewhat prophetic, aided by his Samoan father’s own rugby DNA.
Tags:
