Mortlock scratched from Force clash
A little bit of good news for the Force anyway...
Mortlock scratched from Force clash
April 16, 2007
BRUMBIES skipper Stirling Mortlock has been ruled out of making a long-awaited return from injury in Friday night's Super 14 derby with Western Force at Canberra Stadium.
The long-serving Australia centre has missed the Brumbies' past three matches with a broken hand and has been told to give the injury an extra week to mend.
The Canberra-based team has managed to perform strongly without their skipper, winning three on the trot to jump into equal fourth on the table while Force has slid to seventh, but only one point behind, with big back-to-back losses in New Zealand.
"Obviously (my hand) has been weakened significantly by being in a cast for the last three or four weeks," Mortlock said.
"I've been doing a lot of lower body and fitness work in the gym, now it's a matter of getting some strength back into the hand."
The Brumbies will start favourites at home against a Force outfit that has conceded 17 tries in successive thumpings by the Crusaders and Chiefs.
In some good news for the Brumbies, Australia wing Clyde Rathbone is expected to be available for Friday's match after missing the 36-10 win over New South Wales Waratahs with a thigh injury.
AAP
