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All Blacks prop and three others ruled out for the season as Chiefs injury toll mounts
By Online Editors
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Although the Chiefs will be taking part in the brand new Super Rugby Aotearoa competition for the remainder of the season, their growing injury toll remains consistent with the problems they've faced since Super Rugby's inception way back in 1996.
In the front end of this year's regular competition, men like Angus Ta'avao, Atu Moli and Damian McKenzie spent time on the sidelines through injury while Nathan Harris was ruled out for the season before the first match even kicked off. Yesterday, it was announced that new All Blacks captain Sam Cane will also miss the opening match of the Aotearoa competition.
Now, the Chiefs have confirmed that Moli - as well as locks Michael Allardice and Laghlan McWhannell and outside back Sam McNicol will all be out of action for the remainder of the season.
With Brodie Retallick on a sabbatical, Allardice has carried a heavy load for the Chiefs in 2020 and was the only experienced out-and-out lock in the squad, with Tyler Ardron also spending much of the season in the second row despite typically playing in the loose forwards. Allardice has undergone shoulder reconstruction surgery.
McWhannell, meanwhile, is in his second season with the Chiefs but is still yet to earn any minutes due to a torrid run of injuries - the latest requiring a patellar tendon debridement.
Young Taranaki second-rower Tupou Vaa'i, who was a member of last year's New Zealand Under 20 squad, has now officially joined the side and will back-up the likes of Ardron and his Under 20s teammate Naitoa Ah Kuoi.
No replacements have been made for Moli (who will undergo FAI surgery on both left and right hips due to chronic hip dysfunction) or McNicol (ankle surgery) who are both in the final years of their contracts with the Chiefs and New Zealand Rugby.
McNicol has fought his way back from many an injury since his Super Rugby debut for the Hurricanes back in 2015 but the latest set-back will be even more frustrating for the talented utility, given he is potentially fighting for a contract for next season.
The Chiefs kick-off their Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign against the Highlanders in Dunedin on Saturday evening.
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Latest Comments
I think we need to get innovative with the new laws.
Now red cards are only 20 minutes, Razor should send Finau on a head hunting mission to hospitalise their 10 with a shoulder to the chops.
Give the conspiracy theorists a win.
Go to commentsEngland played well enough to win but couldnt score when they needed to and couldnt defend a couple of X-Factor moments from Telea which was ultimately the difference. They needed to hold the ball more and make the AB's make more tackles. Territorially they were good for the first 60. Defending their lead and playing pragmatic rugby in the last 20 was silly. The AB's always had the potential to come back. England still have a long way to go, definite progress would have been shown had they won but it seems they are still stuck where they were shortly after the six nations and their tour to NZ
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