Prop expected to miss remainder of season
Prop expected to miss remainder of season
Joe Walsh left the field in the second half of the Southland Stags’ 39-29 loss to Counties on Saturday with a calf injury.
Loosehead prop Joe Walsh is expected to miss the rest of the Southland Stags season because of injury.
Walsh left the field in the second half of the Stags’ 39-29 loss to Counties on Saturday with a calf injury.
Rugby Southland director of rugby Matt Saunders suggested it would probably rule him out for the remainder of the NPC campaign.
“It’s probably him done for the season, which is a shame.”
Walsh is the Stags’ first-choice loosehead and had a strong start to the season. That’s despite carrying a shoulder injury during this season.
While it’s a blow for the Stags, Saunders was comfortable with where they were at in terms of its propping options.
Quinn Harrison-Jones, Shaun Stodart, and Morgan Mitchell were all on the injured list for the Counties game but Saunders said all may return soon.
Mitchell has been recovering from some challenging concussion symptoms.
They have also drafted in former Auckland tight-head prop Hamdahn Tuipulotu who made his debut from the bench against Counties.
The propping problems has meant 20-year-old Hunter Fahey has had an earlier-than-expected taste of NPC rugby which will be a good learning experience.
In other injury news, it was initially thought back Scott Gregory might miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury, although he may return for the final week of the campaign.
That will be important for the Stags given they will finish the season with three games in eight days.
Experienced first-five-eighth Marty Banks is also still battling with a groin injury he carried into the season.
“We’re not sure if he will be back, it’s just the same injury giving a lot of grief, poor bugger.”
The next outing for Southland will be against Canterbury on Sunday as the Stags search for their first victory this season.
Saunders said they just need to keep working hard and the results will start to come.
“There is a lot of frustration in the players because a lot of them are young.”