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Australia have suffered another major blow, losing a second star-center for the Rugby Championship. The Fijian-born Tevita Kuridrani has been ruled out of rugby for three months, making the November Internationals his next possible test match opportunity.
Kuridrani went down injured in the Brumbies Super Rugby victory over the Waratahs last weekend. Medical tests have since revealed the extent of the pectoral injury which requires surgery.
With 58 test caps to his name, Kuridrani has been a regular in the Wallabies for more than five years. He has held down the starting birth at outside center and played in seven matches of RWC 2015 in England and Wales.
The loss of Kuridrani complicates Australia’s preparations for the Rugby Championship. Head Coach Michael Cheika is also without fellow mid-fielder Samu Kerevi, who required surgery for his injured bicep.
Australia’s injury list also includes a third Fijian-born player – Brumbies winger, Henry Speight. The 30-year-old started at outside center against Uruguay at RWC 2015 and also started in the same year against the USA in Chicago. He is out for two months with a syndesmosis injury.
Kerevi started in all three of Australia’s June Internationals against Ireland. Kuridrani, meanwhile, started in November.
Without both Cheika’s outside center options for the Rugby Championship may well come down to Curtis Rona and Reece Hodge, the latter a utility who normally plays wing. His last start at outside center was against England in 2016. Rona has three caps, all coming in 2017.
Whoever earns the starting 13 shirt will join Kurtley Beale in the Wallabies mid-field, doing so for Australia’s next match. That game is the biggest of the year for the Wallabies, their annual home Bledisloe Cup clash against New Zealand. The annual match will be played din Sydney on August 18.
