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Italy delivered Louis Lynagh injury hammer blow ahead of Six Nations
By Josh Raisey
Benetton have revealed that Italy winger Louis Lynagh has undergone surgery on a knee injury he suffered in his side's recent victory over Zebre, which will likely rule him out of the Guinness Six Nations.
Despite completing the Italian derby as Benetton won 12-24 in Parma, the 24-year-old sustained a lateral collateral ligament injury, which has since been operated on.
A Benetton injury update shared on Wednesday reads (translated by Google): "The Benetton Rugby medical staff have released the following update on the physical condition of player Louis Lynagh, who was injured in the last match against Zebre Parma.
"The player Louis Lynagh suffered a sprain to his left knee during the match against Zebre. The instrumental tests revealed a lesion of the lateral collateral ligament, which required surgery, performed in London. The surgery was a complete success and the player will now begin his rehabilitation process.
"Benetton Rugby wishes Louis a speedy recovery and a quick return to the field."
Though Benetton have not outlined how long the winger is expected to be sidelined for, it is not promising for Italy head coach Gonzalo Quesada despite the operation being a success.
Lynagh made his try-scoring Italy debut in last year's Six Nations in a victory over Scotland and went on to feature frequently in blue throughout 2024. His absence will therefore be felt by the Azzurri.
Benetton's victory over Zebre has not proved particularly fruitful for either the club or Italy, with prop Mirco Spagnolo also picking up a five-week ban for his red card in the match.
Italy get their Six Nations campaign underway with a trip to Edinburgh to face a Scotland side that will be spoiling for revenge after their loss in Rome last year.
In a social media post following the operation, Lynagh has vowed to "be back better".
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Latest Comments
I like the idea of Elrigh Louw as a long-term option for captaincy. Honestly, it’s hard to say who else could take on that role after Siya Kolisi, as 2027 is still a long way off. In my opinion, Siya will likely go to the Rugby World Cup in 2027 unless injury or a significant dip in form prevents him.
Between now and 2027, I think the captaincy will be shared among several players as Siya’s playing time is carefully managed—a strategy the Springboks have been implementing for some time. Younger players like Salmaan Moerat might get opportunities to captain in tier-two matches, as we’ve already seen. Other emerging talents like Jordan Hendrikse and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu could also be considered, though the Boks have traditionally favored forwards for captaincy roles. Damian Willemse is another possibility, but he first needs to play his way back into the team.
My personal feeling is that there should be an effort to appoint a black captain to replace Siya. His captaincy has been pivotal in broadening rugby's appeal across racial groups in South Africa over the past 7 years. More so than any other period in the last 30 years.
Form permitting, Moerat is a strong contender, given his leadership qualities and pedigree. However, some might view such an appointment as political, potentially overlooking Moerat's real potential and the broader significance of such a decision.
Other players with leadership potential have been mentioned, such as Phepsi Buthelezi. However, it remains to be seen whether the former DHS star will secure a permanent spot in the Springbok lineup.
One positive aspect of the uncertainty around Siya’s long-term successor is the way the Springboks have emphasized shared leadership among senior players. This approach has lessened the pressure on a single captain and allowed the team to thrive collectively.
When Siya was first appointed, there was skepticism about his leadership credentials. And whether he was the best 6 in the country. The shared leadership strategy gave him the support and platform to grow into the exceptional captain he is today. And he's proven critics wrong about his abilities as a player.
Go to commentswell I guess now you've learned to stop going off vibes and engage with people's actual arguments
Hitler's rationale included the retaking of German areas, but it wasn't limited to that. Hitler wanted to colonise and dominate as much land as possible, so his ambitions were much broader than just areas with historical german populations.
Where is this list that includes Hungary and Austria? How would Russia go about taking all these places? Ukraine is taking them a while and costing them a lot of soldiers. Hitler took France in a matter of weeks, but Putin has taken 3 years to gain a few dozen miles in Ukraine. At this rate he'll die of old age before getting anywhere near Poland.
I'm aware that Putin and Netanyahu are on the same side, but Netanyahu is also on the same side as Biden, Harris, Starmer (and Trump and Sunak). This isn't a situation where the west are the goodies.
There is a hot war with Russia now. They are winning in Ukraine, but its a war of attrition, not a blitzkreig.
"Settler colonialism? What exactly do you think the plans are? Crimea?"
I think the plans aren't colonial. If you think they are then you should make that argument, not just have a tantrum because I disagree with you.
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