Australia scrum-half Will Genia starts on road back after injury

By GARETH BLACK
Published on 13/09/2012 03:14

AUSTRALIA scrum-half Will Genia has undergone a full reconstruction of his right knee after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament during the Wallabies’ 26-19 defeat of South Africa over the weekend.

The surgery, at a Brisbane clinic, went well but Genia’s expected recovery time remains a minimum of six months, the team said in a statement.

The Papua New Guinean-born 24-year-old, rated one of the finest scrum-halves in the world, has been replaced by Nick Phipps for the Wallabies’ match against Argentina in the Gold Coast on Saturday. Australia lost both their opening matches to New Zealand and lie third in the four-team southern hemisphere competition, eight points 
behind the leading All Blacks.

Meanwhile, South Africa have made two changes to their pack for their clash with New Zealand on Saturday, bringing in lock Flip van der Merwe and flanker Francois Louw as they look to hit back from their loss to Australia.

Van der Merwe replaces Eben Etzebeth, who was suspended for two weeks for head-butting Wallabies lock Nathan Sharpe in their 26-19 defeat in Perth on Saturday, while Louw is promoted from the substitutes bench in place of Marcell Coetzee on the blindside.