Owen Franks out, Naholo sidelined
New Zealand tighthead prop Owen Franks has been ruled out for the rest of the season and will undergo surgery on his Achilles tendon injury.
All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen gave extensive injury update ahead of Saturday’s Rugby Championship Test against Argentina in New Plymouth and revealed that Franks, who has represented his country in 95 Tests, would have an operation on Friday. Franks’ injury has been bothering him for a while now and forced him to withdraw from the All Blacks’ starting line-up ahead of their Bledisloe Cup Test with Australia in Dunedin last month.
Meanwhile, there is still concern over All Blacks openside flanker Sam Cane, who sustained a head knock in that win over the Wallabies in Dunedin which prompted Hansen to call up uncapped Blues tearaway Blake Gibson into the squad as injury cover.
Veteran flanker Matt Todd was unavailable as back up after fracturing his hand on Mitre 10 Cup duty for Canterbury.
In other injury news, All Blacks wing Waisake Naholo, who didn’t feature in the two Bledisloe Cup Tests, has been sidelined after sustaining a head knock during while in action for Taranaki against Counties-Manukau at the weekend. Planet Rugby Shaun Stevenson and Tevita Li each scored a brace in this emphatic victory.
Stevenson scored inside the first couple of minutes. Harbour’s Bryn Gatland slotted a 17th-minute penalty next. Auckland finally got on the board when Jono Hickey landed a penalty from 25 metres out.
Matt Duffie scored Auckland’s next try. Five minutes into the second half Gatland extended their lead to 21-3 and a minute later Stevenson scored his second try after gathering Bryn Hall’s box kick and beating one defender to score. George Moala did, however, score an impressive solo try in the 51st minute to give Auckland fans something to cheer about.
Gatland landed another penalty before Harbour’s Li scored Harbour’s fourth try, Hooker James Parsons scored a 40-metre breakaway try minutes later. Li’s second try and Gatland’s subsequent conversion brought up Harbour’s half century and Ben Volavola’s try in the 79th minute added salt to Auckland’s wound by securing the 57-10 win.
Hamilton:
Tasman defeated Waikato 31-29 in an exciting Mitre 10 Cup clash at FMG Stadium on Sunday.
Tawera Kerr-Barlow scored a try after the hooter, but Matty Lansdown pulled the conversion wide and cost his side a drawn result. Waikato opened the scoring through a Loni Uhila try after his 20-metre gallop down the touchline.
Tasman scored next after scrum-half Billy Guyton found a way through a few tacklers for his try, with Waikato losing captain Dwayne Sweeney to a groin injury a few minutes later.
Vernon Fredericks scored the game’s next try, handing Tasman a nine point lead but Waikato fired back with a Sevu Reece try.
Tasman then full-back Will Jordan dotted down near the posts before number eight Jordan Taufua powered over the line and secured a bonus point for Tasman before Mitch Hunt landed a penalty.
Samisoni Taukei’aho scored for Waikato next. They were then held up over the line twice before Zac Guildford scored with six minutes left.
Kerr-Barlow scored a try four minutes into added time but Lansdown couldn’t land the vital conversion, handing wTasman a 31-29 victory.