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Knee surgery rules Queensland Reds captain James Horwill out for season
By Jim Morton
February 20, 2010.
Queensland Reds are looking for a new skipper and Wallabies coach Robbie Deans a new enforcer after a shattered James Horwill was ruled out for nine months.
The abrasive 115kg lock badly ruptured his knee in the Reds' stirring 41-20 upset of the Crusaders and will require season-ending surgery.
Any pleasure coach Ewen McKenzie derived from his young team being unexpected Super 14 pace-setters after their round-two Suncorp Stadium win was drained away by the devastating loss.
Horwill is their most influential and damaging forward and has proven to be a quality leader since taking over the captaincy at 22 in 2008.
The 24-Test backrower will also miss the Tri Nations, and most probably Australia's end-of-season tour to Europe in November.
The only upside from the injury, sustained midway through the second half and likened to that which sidelined Tim Horan for much of 1994-95, is that the long term prognosis is for a complete recovery well in time for the 2011 World Cup.
"It's an injury that Kevvie (Horwill) will fully recover from, although it will take time," McKenzie said.
"While the rehabilitation period is a long one, the knee will be as good as new when he returns."
Horwill was unprepared to comment after being told the results of scans on Saturday, wanting to speak to renowned knee surgeon Peter Myers about the full detail first.
Vice-captain Will Genia looms as Horwill's replacement as skipper while Van Humphries is expected to return from a head knock to take his place in the second row against the Blues at Ballymore.
Halfback Genia was again outstanding in the four-tries-to-two triumph over the Crusaders while maturing five-eighth Quade Cooper produced his best game for the Reds with two tries in a record 31-point haul.
The mercurial Cooper, who is undergoing a personal development and counselling program after being charged with burglary in December, outshone a harassed Dan Carter and rated it among the best victories he'd been involved with.
Horwill's injury also opens the door for Wallabies and Western Force veteran Nathan Sharpe to storm back into Test contention after missing 2009's Grand Slam tour.
AAP