Brumby plays with broken hand

Tough stuff from Carraro!
I think Veness &/or his Editor need a tune up though :S

Brumbie plays with broken hand

By Peter Veness
March 04, 2007

ACT Brumbies outside centre Matt Carraro played 75 minutes with a broken hand in last night's dour Super 14 loss to the Bulls in Canberra.

Carraro's injury only came to light this morning when the Brumbies arrived for a recovery session, and comes on top of ar 19-7 loss to the Bulls.

Coach Laurie Fisher said it was unclear how long Carraro would be out for or how the injury happened.

"He did it very early in the game ... in the first 10 minutes," said Fisher.

"He has done it before so he's probably use to the feeling."

The injury comes as a cruel blow for the Brumbies who, Fisher admits, played terribly last night but had seemed to escape without any major injuries after losing Wallabies Stirling Mortlock and Stephen Larkham earlier in the season.

Smooth backline movements were repeatedly cut short by dropped ball and forward passes in a game dominated by stop-start play.

A leadership meeting today, Fisher said, would be a chance for the squad to try and move on from the loss.

"We were our own worst enemy last night ... we have to learn very quickly from this," he said.

The Brumbies will have their first opportunity to redeem themselves on Friday night when they face the Stormers, before a three-week tour of South Africa which is shaping as key if the they are to reach the finals.

Fisher believes the tour will not be as hard as it has been in the past.

"The home and away advantage, I don't think it exists anymore.

"We have got to win three in South Africa and I think the home and away advantage of previous years is just not as much of an issue anymore."

Reuters