Crocked lock a big concern
Nervous times as Parkinson awaits verdict of doctors
Highlanders fans should hope for the best but brace for the worst when it comes to Pari Pari Parkinson’s ankle injury.
Assistant coach Clarke Dermody yesterday said that it was too soon to make a definitive judgment on the big lock who was injured in Saturday’s loss to the Chiefs, but he wasn’t exactly brimming with confidence about his prospects.
‘‘He’s going through his scans so we’re still waiting,’’ Dermody said. ‘‘[But] he’s limping, so we’ll see how he comes out.’’
Dermody’s caution is understandable given the 24-year-old All Blacks contender underwent an ankle reconstruction last year to address an issue that had been hampering him for years.
Parkinson appeared to reinjure that same ankle while changing direction sharply in an effort to tackle the Chiefs’ Mitch Brown halfway through the first half in Dunedin on Saturday.
He battled through to halftime but it was clear that he was having trouble putting weight on the ankle, and he had to be replaced.
The Highlanders were in a similar position last week as they waited for news on Folau Fakatava’s knee, with scans later revealing that the halfback had torn his ACL and would miss 9-12 months of rugby.
Parkinson’s status should be known later this week but it would be a cruel blow if the Ma¯ ori All Blacks big man is sidelined for another lengthy period.
The Highlanders are already without Liam Squire, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Jermaine Ainsley, Thomas Umaga-Jensen, Fetuli Paea and Freedom Vahaakolo, while Solomon Alaimalo is unavailable for personal reasons.
They are limping, literally and figuratively, towards the clash against the Blues in Dunedin on Friday, and Dermody admitted that the review of the messy loss to the Chiefs had not exactly brightened the mood.
‘‘It was a tough watch, watching it back yesterday,’’ Dermody said. ‘‘It was just not the performance we were after.
‘‘It was a shame not to be able to back up the Crusaders game with a good game at home.
‘‘We didn’t quite put the Chiefs under pressure for the whole game.’’
The Highlanders were well beaten by the Blues in Auckland in round three, as Leon MacDonald’s side used their big pack to dominate at the scrum and in the collisions.
With their forwards subdued, the Highlanders’ game plan of playing at pace was rendered useless but they appear to be taking a more confrontational approach to Friday’s rematch.
‘‘If you watched the Chiefs play the Blues they provided a blueprint of how we should play,’’ Dermody said.
‘‘They had an awesome night at set piece. They put the Blues under pressure there, so if you take them on at source that would be a good start to the game for us.
‘‘They’re a big momentum team, with a pretty smart kicking game. It’s about combatting that. It’s going to be a challenge.’’
It’s almost certainly a challenge the Highlanders will face without Parkinson, their biggest physical presence.
‘‘He’s going through his scans so we’re still waiting. [But] he’s limping, so we’ll see how he comes out.’’
Clarke Dermody Highlanders assistant coach, left