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'We thought the tibia was off': Le Roux Malan as All Black centre visits
By Grant Constable
Rugby showed its softer side on Monday when All Black centre Anton Lienert-Brown took the time to visit Namibia's injury-stricken centre Le Roux Malan in hospital.
Lienert-Brown visited Malan in hospital after the Namibia centre suffered a serious injury in the teams' Pool A match on Friday night.
Malan suffered a fractured and dislocated ankle injury in the first half of his side's 71-3 Rugby World Cup loss at the Stadium de Toulouse. Play was halted for several minutes while he received treatment and he left the pitch to a rousing ovation from the crowd and his fellow players.
Three days later, with Malan having undergone successful surgery, fellow centre Lienert-Brown was by his bedside, where he gifted Malan a signed All Blacks shirt.
Speaking to Lienert-Brown, 24-year-old Malan gave an update on the injury. "It turned out to be so much better than we initially thought. We thought the tibia was off but it's only four to six months, which is unreal," he said.
"My left foot slid and I think my right foot was caught in the ground already, so when I made that initial contact with Beauden (Barrett) it just basically snapped. It's a freak injury."
As well as discussing the injury, Lienert-Brown and Malan watched some of the Australia-Fiji match together. "I appreciate this so much bro, seriously," Malan said.
Lienert-Brown added: "For someone like me who has been through shoulder surgery, I definitely feel his pain. When you're passionate and driven about a sport you love, when it's stopped for six months like that it can be tough.
"But it's good to see he is in awesome spirits. [There's] that mutual respect between both teams."
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Latest Comments
Who, Berry?! His rudeness to Kolisi, our freaking captain, was there for all to see!! Utterly disgraceful.
Erm, I only had one statement - as in 'only one full stop' so not sure where the 'irrelevance' comes in?
Go to commentsLet's be clear: Foster did not back unaquivocally players such as Vaa'i, Tamaiti and Roigard. Yes, he selected them in the squad, but it's a stretch to say he backed them. Those three players have only been backed fully this year (and thrived) under the new regime. There was massive hesitation to give those three guys serious game time in games of consequence.
It's another not-so-subtle dig from the old dynasty at any achievements Razor may be credited for.
Roigard in particular was a mind-baffling omission from the finals of the WC. After being the AB's best player against SA in the pre-WC match, he was not sighted in the big games that followed. Roigard is the type of guy who can win a game with a moment of brilliance, yet the established but uninspiring Christie was preferred to close out a close WC final.
So please, Fozzie, spare us the barely veiled laments about your unfair treatment and unseen achievements. The fact you feel you have to point them out is telling in itself. And it shows that despite saying you've moved on, you and your mate Hansen most definitely haven't.
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