Injuries
Glasgow Warriors have pulled off a major coup by landing USA international sevens star Carlin Isles until at least May 2015, subject to a visa and medical.
24-year-old Isles has been dubbed the fastest rugby player in the world after swapping athletics for rugby in 2012.
Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder will have a selection headache to deal with while choosing his side to play the Blues on Friday.
The seven-times champions underperformed in last week’s 10-18 reverse at the hands of the Chiefs and the performance is certain to result in flyhalf Tyler Bleyendaal’s axing, with Colin Slade now available, but it is how Blackadder re-jigs the rest of his team that remains a mystery.
The Highlanders will be without their most experienced forward in Brad Thorn, who will miss three to four weeks with a rib injury.
Billy Vunipola will take no further part in the Six Nations due to a sprain to his right ankle.
The Saracens No 8 had a scan on Monday which revealed some ligament damage that will keep him out of action for the rest of the tournament.
French centre Wesley Fofana is unlikely to play any further part in this season’s Six Nations Championship after suffering a broken rib in the 27-6 defeat in Wales according to Clermont.
Long-serving Edinburgh Rugby duo Ben Cairns and Steven Lawrie have been forced to retire from rugby due to long-term knee injuries.
The news ends the tenure of the long-serving local lads, both capped for Scotland, who will now pursue careers on the other side of the white paint.
There was a mixed bag on the selection front for the Crusaders on Monday – Kieran Read set to return, but Richie McCaw likely to be ruled out.
McCaw is in doubt for Friday’s Round Three encounter against the Blues at Eden Park.
The openside flank is nursing a tender calf, after the Crusaders’ 10-18-10 loss to the Chiefs at Christchurch Stadium at the weekend.
After their humiliating loss to the Lions, the Stormers received more bad news with injuries to two key players.
According to reports, Argentine lock Manuel Carizza and flank Schalk Burger could miss Friday night’s match against the Hurricanes after picking up injuries in their 34-10 loss at Ellis Park on Saturday.
The defending champion Chiefs are counting the cost of their 18-10 win over the Crusaders in their Super Rugby showdown in Christchurch on Friday.
Chiefs coach Dave Rennie admitted his team’s depth is being tested in the early stages of the season, but felt he will have sufficient cover as the men from Hamilton look for a hat-trick of titles.
Forwards Ben Afeaki, Brodie Retallick, Kane Thompson, Tevita Koloamatangi and All Black Mils Muliaina were all forced off the field in the brutal clash in Christchurch.
The Lions medical staff have released an injury update, following the Lions’ 20 / 21 victory over the Cheetahs on Saturday.
Springbok flyhalf Johan Goosen should be ready to play for the Cheetahs when they host the Bulls in Bloemfontein on Friday night.
Goosen went for a scan after slightly injuring his arm in the Cheetahs’ 21 / 20 home defeat to the Lions at the weekend.
The DHL Stormers have been the South African side to be hit with the most pre-season injuries of all 5 Super Rugby Franchises. It has left them lean at lock and in the backline at wing and fullback.
Jaco Taute is rported to be out for 2 more weeks,as a result of which the Stormers have had to scramble to sign more depth, which now comes in the form of signing Shakes Soyizwapi from the EP Kings.
In addition, speculation is rife around what the constitution of the back three will be to run out against the Lions in Super Rugby on the weekend and the likelyhood is that Allister Coetzee would entrust a midfield spot next to Jean de Villiers to Michael van der Spuy.
Jason Jaftha, one of SANZAR’s panel of Super Rugby referees, has suffered what seems to be a serious knee injury.
Injured Wales centre Jonathan Davies has been ruled out of the Six Nations Championship match against France in Cardiff on Friday.
Springbok hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle will be out “for a long time” after suffering a knee injury at the weekend, French club Toulouse have said on Monday.
Wallabies flyhalf Quade Cooper is set to start in the Reds’ Super Rugby opener against the Brumbies this weekend despite pain in his neck.
England were dealt a big blow with the news that seasoned prop Dan Cole has been ruled out the rest of the Six Nations tournament.
The England team management said in a statement that Cole will have “a period of rest” to relieve a bulging disc in his neck – which is trapping a nerve.
Springbok fullback Jaco Taute has been ruled out of the Stormers fixture against the Lions in Johannesburg next week.
Taute was an 11th hour withdrawal from the Stormers side which went down 29-24 to Boland in Wellington on Saturday.
The Reds were dealt a double blow ahead of the start of the Super Rugby season, with Wallaby vice-captain Quade Cooper the biggest concern.
Cooper was stretchered off Ballymore as the Rebels produced a shock 18 / 13 pre-season upset of the Reds on Friday.
Stormers fullback Jaco Taute’s knee is giving him problems again as they prepare to face Boland in a pre-season friendly in Wellington on Saturday.
Victor Vito has become the latest Hurricanes player to be ruled out their tough South African tour after rupturing his posterior cruciate ligament in training on Wednesday.
Wales centre Scott Williams is set to miss the rest of the Six Nations Championship because of a shoulder injury, the Welsh Rugby Union have announced on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old Scarlets back is set to undergo an operation on Thursday and could be out of action for as long as three months.
This weekend sees the start of Super Rugby, but only with 2 games in South Africa. For the rest of the Super Rugby Francises, including all New Zealand and Australian franchises, it’s another weekend of preparation matches for Super Rugby.
In New Zealand, the Hurricanes report that Tim Bateman has suffered a grade one medial knee ligament injury at training and will miss 2 to 6 weeks of rugby. Also in New Zealand the Crusaders have named Richie McCaw on the bench for their warm-up encounter with the Hurricanes.
In Australia, the Reds have made some changes amongst their props, with James Slipper in at loosehead and Greg Holmes in at tighthead and a few changes were made in the backline too, for their warm-up clash against the Melbourne Rebels. Also in Australia, Hugh McMeniman returns from injury and will run out for the Force A side to face the Pampas XV and Samoa A.
Big Brumbies loose forward Fotu Auelua has been ruled out for 10-12 weeks with a knee injury that will see him miss eight Super Rugby matches.
The Vodacom Bulls have released a statement about the finess of its players.
Bulls Fitness Update
The Vodacom Bulls will have to face the Cell C Sharks in Saturday’s season opener of the Vodacom Super Rugby competition without Arno Botha, Mornè Mellett and Jesse Kriel, it was announced on Monday.
The last thing the DHL Stormers need ahead of the new Vodacom Super Rugby season is more injuries at lock, so even though coach Allister Coetzee is confident there is nothing to worry about, the squad will nonetheless be waiting with bated breath for results of a scan conducted at the weekend on Rynhardt Elstadt’s ribs.
The powerfully built forward came off at halftime of the 40 / 7 win over the Southern Kings in a warm-up match in Port Elizabeth with sore ribs. According to Coetzee, he was walking comfortably afterwards, but nonetheless he underwent a scan on the affected area, the results of which will be made available on Monday.
Ireland lock Dan Tuohy suffered a fractured arm during his side’s 26 / 3 win over Wales in the Six Nations Championship in Dublin on Saturday, the Irish Rugby Football Union said on Monday.
No date has been set for his return but he is likely to miss the rest of the tournament.
The Brumbies are hoping that their 67 / 0 Super Rugby warm up victory over an ACT XV at Viking Park has not come at a price after they picked up several injuries.
The scoreline of the brutal match shows how convincing the victory was but David Pocock had to have attention to his bleeding eye, flying winger Henry Speight bruised his ribs and No 8 Fotu Auelua picked up a knee injury.
The Brumbies had 11 internationals in their line up as they want to be as ready as they can be for their Super Rugby season opener against the Reds at Canberra Stadium on 22 February.
Winger Lee Jones has been added to the Glasgow Warriors squad for the forthcoming RaboDirect PRO12 matches, to provide injury cover until the end of the season.
The 25-year-old returns from Scotland 7s duty in New Zealand following his agreed loan from Edinburgh Rugby and will be available for this Sunday’s game against Connacht at Scotstoun Stadium.
Highlanders wing Buxton Popoalii will miss the entire Super Rugby season to focus on recovering from surgery planned for later this month.
Scotland wing Sean Maitland is to miss the remainder of the Six Nations Championship, officials have announced on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old New Zealand-born back limped off midway through the first half of Scotland’s tournament opening 28 / 6 defeat by Ireland in Dublin on Sunday, suffering both concussion and leg injuries.
The DHL Stormers have announced that Juan de Jongh has injured his knee and will miss 6 weeks of rugby.
In addition, Schalk Burger makes double news, being named the Captain of the side who will take on the Southern Kings on the weekend and with the further news that he wants to stay put in the Cape, at least till after the next World Cup.
The Southern Kings will have to appoint a new captain for the game on Friday when they take on the DHL Stormers (in a pre-season Super Rugby warm-up game for the Stormers) at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Round 2 of the RBS Six Nations tournament follows this weekend, after an eventfull Round 1 this past weekend.
Out of the England camp, it appears that winger Jonny May, who broke his nose against France hs been passed fit to play on the weekend.
France news is that Antoine Burban will miss Sunday’s Test against Italy with a hamstring injury and is replaced in the squad by Ibrahim Diarra.
Scotland’s Sean Maitland will miss the clash against England, suffering from concussion and a right leg injury.
Ireland’s inspirational captain, Paul O’Connell, is set to return against Wales after he withdrew from the team last weekend due to a chest infection.
The Vodacom Bulls loose forward Arno Botha has been ruled out of rugby for at least six months after picking up an ACL injury against the DHL Stormers in Saturday’s season opening friendly in Polokwane, team doctor Org Strauss confirmed on Monday.
The injury, which will see Botha miss most of the 2014 Vodacom Super Rugby season, came in his first match back after injuring the same knee in June last year, which ruled him out of the rest of the 2013 season.