The Chiefs are breathing a big sigh of relief after Damian McKenzie has been cleared of any serious injury and should be available for the 4th round of the Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific.
After last Saturday’s 49-34 win over the Brumbies, it looked quite the possibility, after the man in the No. 15 limped off FMG Stadium, thanks to a 71st minute collision with Anton Lienert-Brown’s shoulder.
It is the same knee McKenzie ruptured his ACL in during the 2019 season.
As it turns out, that hope has turned to reality, with Chiefs assistant coach Roger Randle saying DMac went in for a scan, and fortunately it’s not too bad, of what was understood to be bone bruising.
Meanwhile, the news was also decent, for All Blacks lock Josh Lord, second-five Quinn Tupaea who has pulled up fine after having also hobbled off the park last Saturday, Jacobson, who broke his nose against the Crusaders and sat out last weekend, was back in training and looking good to return.
The other big addition for the Chiefs this week comes in the form of Shaun Stevenson, whose return from his mini six-game sabbatical in Japan could not have come at a better time.
Randle says Stevenson’s come in really keen, he was wanting to be involved, so he came straight from the airport at 5 o’clock yesterday morning and came down to training.
The Swire Shipping Fijian Drua play the Chiefs at 3.35pm Saturday at Churchill Park, Lautoka.
In other games, the Blues will face the Brumbies at 6.05pm Friday, Moana Pasifika will take on the Hurricanes at 6.05pm Saturday, the Waratahs will meet the Force at 8.35pm Saturday and the Crusaders will play the Reds at 2.35pm Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Rooster Chicken Fijian Drua will play the Reds at 1.05pm this Saturday at Churchill Park, Lautoka in round 2 of the Super W competition.
Source: Stuff.co
