Luckless Wallabies hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau’s bittersweet 2014 appears over as his 50th Test milestone turned into a millstone on the Gold Coast.
In another massive blow to Australia’s improving pack, Polota-Nau may need ankle surgery after suffering syndesmosis in the first half of Saturday night’s 32-25 win over Argentina.
Scans have shown the injury-plagued rake faces up to eight weeks on the sidelines, putting him back into rehab just eight days after the 29-year-old was discharged from it.
Polota-Nau, whose 50 caps have taken nine years to compile, was making his comeback after six weeks out with a knee ligament tear sustained in NSW’s Super Rugby final triumph.
Coach Ewen McKenzie, who’ll revert to fourth-string hooker James Hanson to start against the Springboks in a fortnight, was hugely disappointed for his powerhouse No.2.
“I’m frustrated for him,” said McKenzie. “You’d love him to have a clear run and just play football.
“He did a great job coming off no football for a while, that’s why we put him in there.
“He was equipped to handle it and he has the experience and he made a big difference.”
McKenzie is already missing hookers Stephen Moore and Nathan Charles for the rest of 2014 and the Australian scrum would be under immense pressure without Polota-Nau in November’s European Tour.
The dilemma for the Wallabies is whether to gamble on rushing the Waratah back for the start of the four-Test tour against England, France, Ireland and Wales.
“We don’t think it’s surgical at the moment but it’s clashing with that (spring tour) timetable so it’s making it difficult,” McKenzie said.
“The question is whether it goes to surgery or not, that’s always going to be four weeks (recovery) just to look inside, but we’re not at that point yet.”
McKenzie will take three hookers on the two-week tour of South Africa and Argentina, meaning 33-year-old journeyman Josh Mann-Rae could vie with Saia Fainga’a to make his Test debut off the bench.
In a double blow, winger Peter Betham could also miss the final seven Tests of the year after reinjuring the broken foot which disrupted his Super Rugby season.
Betham joins Henry Speight (hamstring) on the sidelines but utility Adam Ashley-Cooper is expected back from a neck problem to play the Springboks while Joe Tomane (hamstring) is also in the mix to return.
McKenzie dismissed suggestions super-sub Kurtley Beale should be used on the wing, saying he’s better utilised closer to the action.
Australia’s depth out wide has been tested almost as much as hooker.
“It seems odd it’s just the hookers and wingers,” McKenzie said. “It just happens, you can’t explain it.”
Lock Sam Carter is also being assessed for an ankle problem ahead of the 28-man tour squad being named this week.
