Season likely over for All Black Brad Weber after gruesome injury

Stade Francais scrum-half Brad Weber will likely miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on an injury the former All Black himself described as having his "ankle at right angles".

The 34-year-old was stretchered from the Jean Bouin pitch on Saturday 50 minutes into his side's crucial 39-37 victory over Pau in the Top 14 with what was a gruesome ankle injury.

The Parisian club issued a brief statement on Monday confirming that the All Black has undergone a successful operation on his ankle, though there was no indication as to how long he will be sidelined.

The statement read: "Stretchered off on Saturday against Pau and warmly applauded by Jean Bouin, our scrum-half was well taken care of and successfully operated on his ankle."

Given the nature of the injury, there is a good chance that Weber has played his final match of Stade Francais' battle to remain in the league.

Weber himself took to social media on Monday asking for a photo of the injury, saying he wants to "freak out" his friends. He wrote on X: "Anyone got a decent photo of my ankle at right angles from the game on Saturday? Wanna freak out my mates back home."

Despite finishing second in the Top 14 last year, just a solitary point behind eventual double winners Toulouse, Stade Francais find themselves fighting for Top 14 survival this season.

Given bottom-place Vannes defeated second-from-bottom Racing 92 at the weekend, Stade Francais could have found themselves level on points at the bottom of the table had they not defeated Pau, who lie in 11th and two points ahead of the Parisians.

With bottom place relegated in the Top 14 and second-from-bottom forced into a relegation play-off, the French giants are well and truly in a relegation scrap this season, and will have to fight on without their former All Black.