Rapana plays through pain
Kiwis winger Jordan Rapana will return home tomorrow and could face up to six months on the sideline after injuring his shoulder in the secondtest loss to England in Liverpool.
Kiwis head coach Michael Maguire told Radio Sport that Rapana played most of New Zealand’s 20-14 defeat on Monday after dislocating his right shoulder early in the match.
The 29-year-old suffered the injury attempting to score a try in the 12th minute but was able to get the shoulder back into its socket and play on.
Speaking after New Zealand’s series loss, Maguire confirmed that Rapana played through pain for much of the match.
“He did, yeah [play on with an injury],” said Maguire. “But at halftime, the doctors assessed him and he was okay.”
But Rapana was finally forced off in the 68th minute when he landed awkwardly and aggravated the same shoulder.
Rapana’s right edge was targeted by the English as the Wayne Bennettcoached side successfully overturned an eight-point deficit to clinch the series.
Maguire believed the injury to Rapana was a factor which allowed England to take advantage of New Zealand’s right edge.
“I think they obviously thought there was a bit of a pathway across on that side because they were actually quite strong the week before.
“And then once Jordan had to go off, we had to push our back row out, so they capitalised on the fact that there were a few little changes there in our defensive line,” McGuire said.
The Raiders star will return to Canberra for rehabilitation and possibly surgery.