Larkham injury blow

By Jim Morton
September 14, 2007
AUSTRALIA playmaker Stephen Larkham is in serious doubt for the crunch clash with Wales in a major blow to Australia's World Cup hopes.
Larkham strained his knee while kicking at the end of the team's final training run ahead of the important Millennium Stadium match.
The 102-Test veteran was sent to hospital for scans after the captain's run at the Welsh Institute of Sport but he looks unlikely to play against the Welsh.
The massive blow may thrust one-Test rookie Berrick Barnes into the starting side and also have massive ramifications for the Wallabies campaign in the tournament.

AAP

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...-23217,00.html

Oh crap, i reckon sheps may well be playing then....

*yawn* another shock aussie injury leading into a big match. Bernie to be on the field no changes to the line-up required. It's getting old Knuckles.

Prediction: Australia 48 - 13 Wales.

Reports are he is out for the rest of the pool matches, having an arthroscope today....

Force to the rescue after being the Wallaby pariahs all season!
For mine I would go:
#10 Gits
#12 Stanners
#21 Shep

Get Stanners amongst it, he's a try scoring machine at Wallaby level, has a better try/match ratio than anyone else in the Backs Squad (except Barnes with 2 on debut).

Interesting looking at the leading Backs and their matches:try scoring ratio

Player-Caps-Tries-Caps/Try

Barnes 1:2, 0.5
Staniforth 10:7, 1.4
Mitchell 17:9, 1.8
Latham 74:37, 2.0
Tuqiri 54:27, 2.0
Gerrard 23:9, 2.5
Mortlock 61:24, 2.5
Giteau 48:17, 2.8
Ashley-Cooper 9:3, 3.0
Huxley 6:2, 3.0

oh crap...what happened to putting larkham in cotton wool? I'm with burgs...i wouldn't be surprised if that's the line up... I suppose we won't know til tonight?

Larkham to miss Welsh encounter
Posted 1 hour 10 minutes ago
Updated 57 minutes ago


Knee injury ... Stephen Larkham (File photo) (Getty Images: Cameron Spencer)
Wallabies fly half Stephen Larkham has been ruled out of tonight's crucial Pool B World Cup match against Wales at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff because of a knee injury.

Larkham aggravated an existing right knee injury at a Wallabies' training session on Friday.

His place in the starting line-up will be taken by Queensland number 10 Berrick Barnes, who made his Test debut off the reserves bench against Japan in Lyon last Sunday morning (Australian time).

Larkham, 33, will undergo exploratory surgery in Montpellier on Monday that will determine whether or not his World Cup - and his Test career - are over as he has plans to retire after this tournament.

But Wallabies coach John Connolly is hopeful Larkham could be available for the final Pool B match against Canada in Bordeaux on September 29.

-ABC/AFP

thats a huge blow for them, now it should be a real close game.

larkhams inside ball would have got them a try or 2. im sure barnes knows all the moves and will do a good job.

Stephen who?????

Put another 30 odd meters of strapping tape on Barnes and he could be Larkam.

Great performance by Barnes - he really put himself about in defence & there was a great combination with Gregan to put a Welsh prop on his backside! He had some good touches in attack too although didn't 'boss' the game as someone like Larkham would, but I'm sure he'll add that to his game.

:thumbsup:

Yep, best I've ever seen Barnes play, he has really lifted to the team around him.
Hope his Dad wasn't too miffed :D

Barnes really impressed and to take that late hit and keep playing at a peak was encouraging to watch...Well done Berrick...