Coleman cleared to travel, Genia to have surgery on broken arm

AUSTRALIA lock Adam Coleman has been cleared to travel with his team to Sydney despite suffering what appeared to be a broken cheekbone in the second Test loss to Ireland in Melbourne.

The lock received the injury in a head clash with teammate Israel Folau while they were both making a tackle and had to be immediately substituted with noticeable swelling underneath his right eye.

Australia coach Michael Cheika had said on Saturday that Coleman would not be able to fly to Sydney with the rest of the team if he had suffered a broken cheek.

Scrumhalf Will Genia, however, is to have surgery on a broken arm that will rule him out of the third Test and likely the rest of Super Rugby.

Genia was substituted in the first half of the 26-21 loss to Joe Schmidt’s side in Melbourne, which levelled the series at 1-1.

Cheika, pictured, had said on Saturday he expected the 30-year-old would be able to return for the Rugby Championship, which starts in August and prop Scott Sio said the team would miss the impact the scrumhalf has on the game.

“Very disappointing to have Willy G out,” Sio told reporters yesterday.

“His influence will definitely be missed and I guess on the flip side it gives an opportunity for guys like Nick Phipps and Joe Powell to put their hand up and put their best foot forward and represent their country.

“I’m sure Willy will be sending them a few messages of advice and well wishes this weekend as well, but I hope the surgery goes well for Willy and he comes back healthy and ready to go.”

Ireland were back to their impressive best in the match in Melbourne, controlling possession and territory and knocking the Wallabies over at every opportunity.

They also nullified the aerial threat of Folau with a better kick and chase game.

“We got caught on the hop in the first 20 minutes or so, so we’ve just got to go back, review that, see where they targeted us in our defence and I think there’s a lot of other aspects of our game where we need to improve,” Sio said. “We can’t be playing with 35 percent possession.

“The territory and possession game is pretty key at Test level, so I think we just need to treasure the ball a bit more, be a lot better with our kicking and just be a lot more clinical around the park with everything we do.”

Elsewhere, Argentine coach Daniel Hourcade has resigned after a second consecutive defeat by Wales left the team with two wins in 17 games.

“The players aren’t responding,” Hourcade told reporters after the 30-12 reverse in Santa Fe on Saturday. “The responsibility is mine. The cycle is complete.”

Hourcade took over as coach in 2013 and led Argentina to the 2015 World Cup semi-finals.

But the Pumas have struggled since, failing to beat the traditional rugby powers and this month they lost two in a row to the Welsh, handing them their first Test series victory in Argentina since 1999. Argentina play Scotland this Saturday in Resistencia.

Meanwhile, All Black flyhalf Beauden Barrett and loose forward Vaea Fifita will not travel with the team to Dunedin for this week’s third Test against France due to concussion. – Reuters