Jeremy Paul to Miss Spring Tour

September 15, 2006 - 1:45pm
Story by: ARU

Qantas Wallabies hooker Jeremy Paul has been ruled out of next month's Spring Tour of Europe with a ruptured tendon in his left ring finger.
Paul suffered the injury during the first half of Australia's 8-point loss to the Springboks in the final Tri-Nations clash at Ellis Park last Saturday and will undergo surgery to repair the damaged finger on Monday (18 September).
“Jeremy requires surgery to repair the finger and will be restricted from using the finger for up to three months,” said Wallabies team doctor Martin Raftery.
“He will wear a splint for the first six weeks and then faces a further six weeks of rehabilitation to regain his strength and range of movement in the finger,” said Raftery.
Paul said he was disappointed that he will miss out on the four-Test Spring Tour.
"It's a big disappointment. I was getting pretty excited about going," said Paul, who will go under the knife in Brisbane on Monday.
“I'd been happy with my form over the past few Test matches and was looking forward to the Tour, but I guess you've just got to take the rest while the opportunity is there,” he said.
Meanwhile Paul's Wallaby teammate Daniel Vickerman will also have surgery next week.
Vickerman will have an arthroscopy on his right shoulder in Sydney next Tuesday but is expected to return to full training when the Wallabies' Spring Tour squad assembles for a week-long camp in Coffs Harbour on October 8.
“Daniels procedure is just an exploratory scope, just to give us a clearer indication of what's happening in his shoulder,” explained Raftery.
“He's had some minor problems with the shoulder throughout the season, so we just want to rule out any significant problems,” he added.