1
Louis Picamoles will be out of action until next September at the earliest
By Online Editors
Louis Picamoles’ season is already over after it was confirmed he ruptured cruciate ligaments in his left knee during Montpellier’s Heineken Champions Cup defeat last Saturday by Toulouse.
Medical staff at the Top 14 club have confirmed that the long-serving France No8 will require surgery and will face a long road to recovery as he won’t be expected back in action until next September at the earliest.
Capped 82 times by France, Picamoles called time on his international career following the recent quarter-final loss to Wales in Oita.
That decision was designed to free him up to even more feature for his club, but that won’t be the case for the rest of this season after he was stretchered off in the third minute last weekend to be replaced by Caleb Timu.
Set to turn 34 next February, it will be interesting to see if the injury impacts on Picamoles’ future at the club where he started his career before a lengthy spell at Toulouse was followed by a stint in the Premiership at Northampton.
He returned to Montpellier in summer 2017 on a three-year deal that will expire next June.
WATCH: Jim Hamilton, Darren Cave and John Barclay discuss whether Conor Murray is still Ireland's first-choice scrum-half
Trending on RugbyPass
2
Robertson says Italy sensed All Blacks' weaknesses
3
All Blacks player ratings vs Italy
4
Scotland's Sione Tuipulotu admits anger at Australian rugby
5
Latest Comments
Perenara is super woke, the treaty of long ago is irrelevant to a game of rugby in Italy. By referencing it and claiming the countries going through tough times is clearly because Perenara doesn't agree with the democratically elected government of New Zealand that people from all ethnicities voted for. Perenara is making it divisive and political despite many of his team mates that wouldn't agree with his decision. The Allblacks saved this year's worst performance to combine it with the most divisive haka statement. Perhaps it's overdue now for NZ rugby to leave the haka for home games only, ensure that only the players that want to do it are included and never again have 'insertions' added by political activist players.
Go to commentsI expected a larger win than this and the ABs were off slightly whilst the rested Italians were well up for this and gave a real committed performance
Frustrating but a lot of those ABs forwards have done huge minutes this tour and Italy are not the side from the World Cup
Remember they beat wales and Scotland in the 6N
Drew with France and lost to England by 3
Go to comments