Prattley thrown a Super lifeline by Chiefs
The first question to Chiefs coach Colin Cooper was whether there was any chance the club’s chief executive, Michael Collins, would be coming out of retirement, such is the desperation in their propping ranks.
With now all six of the franchise’s originally contracted props out injured, the 43-year-old former Waikato and Chiefs loosehead must have just about been looking somewhere for his boots.
Instead, the Chiefs have thrown a Super Rugby lifeline the way of Sam Prattley, who is set to go from playing club rugby in Nelson last weekend to gracing Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night against the Reds, after getting a shock callup because Aidan Ross had his season ended by a broken ankle in last Friday night’s 25-13 loss to the Hurricanes in Wellington.
Prattley, 28, represented Tasman at Mitre 10 Cup level from 2010-2012, then has been with Auckland since, and after five seasons with the Blues he had missed out on a Super gig anywhere this year, which saw him head back south and prepare for his first club season in some time.
By all accounts he had been training the house down too, then played in the opening round for his Waimea Old Boys side in their 38-34 win over Stoke on Saturday.
Now, however, it’s back up a few notches, with Prattley – who new Chiefs scrum coach Nick White has worked with at both Auckland and the Blues – set to remarkably be the eighth player the Chiefs will have handed gametime to outside their original squad of 38.
Ross’ misfortune follows that of fellow props Kane Hames, who is going through concussion protocols; Mitchell Graham, who will be back running next week following a leg injury; Atu Moli, whose season is over after a quad hematoma; Nepo Laulala, who broke his arm against the Blues on May 2; and Sefo Kautai, who is battling back from a foot problem.
It leaves Prattley joining Angus Ta’avao, Karl Tu’inukuafe and Jeff Thwaites, with Cooper still at a loss to explain his side’s rotten injury luck up front.
‘‘We’ve had a real challenge there, haven’t we,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s just the way the game is, it’s fast, it’s physical, and yes, our expectation on front rowers is to do more than push.’’
Fortunately for the Chiefs there is a bye coming after the Reds, which will buy them some time for their sidelined crew.
Cooper confirmed halfback Brad Weber would return this weekend, after a wrist injury kept him out of the past two games, and that loose forward/lock Tyler Ardron (concussion) and winger Toni Pulu (shoulder) are possibilities, after missing the Hurricanes game, while No 8 Taleni Seu will be out for one to two weeks after a back niggle resurfaced in the capital and saw him leave the field before halftime.
Despite having had three tough Kiwi derbies in a row, and the need to find his All Blacks a second game off to go with the May 21 match against the Sharks, Cooper said no-one would be in line for a rest this weekend, against a Reds side who are coming off three successive losses – their latest being the 37-16 defeat to the Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday night.
‘‘We’re not talking like that, at all.
‘‘This is a tough competition, there’s no change in attitude, whether they’re Aussies or Kiwis.’’