Mike Brown unlikely to play again this season
Mike Brown is unlikely to play again this season after Harlequins revealed he would be out for six to nine months because of knee surgery.
Brown, 34, sustained the injury in pre-season and - after struggling through two recent matches - the decision was taken for him to undergo surgery.
"Mike has tried hard to train and play over the last few weeks but unfortunately his situation has worsened," said head of rugby Paul Gustard. "It would be damaging to his long-term knee health if he continued to try and play.
“He is disappointed as Mike wants to compete and give his all to the shirt. Under the guidance of our medical team led by Mike Lancaster, allied to Mike's incredible attitude to improve and his diligence to rehab, I know he will do everything he can to return to play faster than anticipated. We will look to see how we can use Mike in other capacities to help the squad.”
(Continue reading below...)
Head of medical services Lancaster added: “Mike has been the model professional and is fully committed to a conservative reload and return to play, within hopefully six to nine months. Unfortunately, after playing the last two games, the restriction in function would not allow Mike to perform at his best or indeed allow optimal preparation within the week."
Brown isn't the only player in need of surgery. Welsh hooker Scott Baldwin, who joined the club in the summer, sustained an injury to his neck in the Champions Cup defeat at Clermont.
Lancaster confirmed: “Scott will undergo surgery next week to address his neck injury. He is understandably disappointed to be missing out on game time, but his professionalism and focus will no doubt help in expediting his return to play in the new year.”
Gustard added: “Scott has settled in really well and is a popular member of the squad. He was outstanding in pre-season and demonstrated strong leadership qualities. He had made a promising start to the season and his injury is a further loss to a position where Rob Buchanan is yet to regain fitness and Max Crumpton is out until the new year.
“We know Scott is determined to attack his rehabilitation the same way he does a scrum and he will do all that’s required to return to play faster than anticipated. I know our fans will wish him the very best in his recovery from his forthcoming surgery.”
WATCH: Warren Gatland on what it will be like taking on his old team Wales this weekend as Barbarians coach
Latest Comments
It started with a gut-wrenching realization. I’d been duped. Months earlier, I’d poured $133,000 into what I thought was a golden opportunity a cryptocurrency investment platform promising astronomical returns. The website was sleek, the testimonials glowed, and the numbers in my account dashboard climbed steadily. I’d watched my Bitcoin grow, or so I thought, until the day I tried to withdraw it. That’s when the excuses began: “Processing delays,” “Additional verification required,” and finally, a demand for a hefty “release fee.” Then, silence. The platform vanished overnight, taking my money with it. I was left staring at a blank screen, my savings gone, and a bitter taste of shame in my mouth.I didn’t know where to turn. The police shrugged cybercrime was a black hole they couldn’t navigate. Friends offered sympathy but no solutions. I spent sleepless nights scouring forums, reading about others who’d lost everything to similar scams. That’s when I stumbled across a thread mentioning a group specializing in crypto recovery. They didn’t promise miracles, but they had a reputation for results. Desperate, I reached out.The first contact was a breath of fresh air. I sent an email explaining my situation dates, transactions, screenshots, everything I could scrape together. Within hours, I got a reply. No fluff, no false hope, just a clear request for more details and a promise to assess my case. I hesitated, wary of another scam, but something about their professionalism nudged me forward. I handed over my evidence: the wallet addresses I’d sent my Bitcoin to, the emails from the fake platform, even the login credentials I’d used before the site disappeared.The process kicked off fast. They explained that scammers often move funds through a web of wallets to obscure their tracks, but Bitcoin’s blockchain leaves a trail if you know how to follow it. That’s where their expertise came in. They had tools and know-how I couldn’t dream of, tracing the flow of my coins across the network. I didn’t understand the technical jargon hash rates, mixing services, cold wallets but I didn’t need to. They kept me in the loop with updates: “We’ve identified the initial transfer,” “The funds split here,” “We’re narrowing down the endpoints.” Hours passed , and I oscillated between hope and dread. Then came the breakthrough. They’d pinpointed where my Bitcoin had landed a cluster of wallets tied to the scammers. Some of it had been cashed out, but a chunk remained intact, sitting in a digital vault the crooks thought was untouchable. I didn’t ask too many questions about that part; I just wanted results. They pressured the right points, leveraging the blockchain evidence to freeze the wallets holding my funds before the scammers could liquidate them. Next morning, I woke up to an email that made my heart skip. “We’ve secured access to a portion of your assets.” Not all of it some had slipped through the cracks but $133,000 worth of Bitcoin, my original investment, was recoverable. They walked me through the final steps: setting up a secure wallet, verifying the transfer, watching the coins land. When I saw the balance tick up on my screen, I sat there, stunned. It was real. My money was back.The ordeal wasn’t painless. I’d lost time, sleep, and a bit of faith in humanity. But the team at Alpha Spy Nest Recovery turned a nightmare into a second chance. I’ll never forget what they did. In a world full of thieves, they were the ones who fought to make things right. Contacts below: email: Alphaspynest@mail.com, WhatsApp: +14159714490, Telegram: https://t.me/Alphaspynest
Go to commentsFrom a kiwi point of view it would be great if a fleet of 7s could consistently give a big 7/1 bomb squad the run around. That will be helped if World Rugby continue to learn from Super Rugby and the Premiership.
Although I wouldn't take too much from a win over anyone not employing a seven forward bench, especially Wales. SA and France are winning the big trophies for a reason.
Go to comments