NZ centre Moala faces four weeks out with elbow injury
ByReuters
Published 26/06/2016 at 01:19 GMT
The All Blacks series sweep over Wales came at a cost with centre George Moala ruled out for up to four weeks with an elbow injury he sustained in the 46-6 third test victory in Dunedin on Saturday.
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Moala, who was not in the original squad and called up as a replacement for Charlie Ngatai, scored a try in the first half before he picked up the injury while making a tackle early in the second and was substituted in the 49th minute.
"His elbow is pretty sore," All Blacks coach Steve Hansen told reporters in Dunedin on Sunday.
"What he's done is he's stretched the ligaments that attach around the elbow joint so he could be three to four weeks, we'll just have to wait and see what happens over the next few days."
The 25-year-old Moala made his test debut on the wing last year against Samoa but has since moved into the midfield for the Auckland Blues, who are unlikely to make the Super Rugby playoffs.
The Blues are seventh in the Australasian group on 30 points but are eight points behind the fifth-placed Otago Highlanders, who occupy the final qualifying spot.
Moala was not the only injury concern for Blues coach Tana Umaga, with prop Charlie Faumuina suffering a knee injury that could sideline him for up to three weeks, according to Hansen.
Centre Ryan Crotty has also damaged a calf and may miss his Canterbury Crusaders' clash with the Waikato Chiefs in Suva on Friday.
All Blacks and Crusaders captain Kieran Read picked up a 'stinger' shoulder injury on Saturday but should be cleared for the top-of-the table clash in the Fijian capital.
Hansen was aware that any of his squad could sustain injuries in the final weeks of the Super Rugby season leading into the playoffs, with the coach due to name his Rugby Championship squad on Aug. 1.
"I'm concerned about all of them, I don't want any of them to get injured," he said. "But at the same time we can't wrap them up in cotton wool.
"We need them to play footy and they've got to play some big games and let's sit back and see how they cope with it. And the guys who do cope with it, that's a big advantage."
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