Charlie Faumuina suffers training concussion

Charlie Faumuina. Photo / Getty

World Cup hopeful Charlie Faumuina was knocked out at Auckland training today and his comeback has been put on hold until round three of the ITM Cup.

Faumuina damaged his neck in the later stages of the Super rugby series and had surgery in June in a late bid to be fit for the World Cup.

The 28-year-old had an operation to release a nerve which was being pinched by a bulging disc.

He returned to training with the All Blacks last week, got the all-clear to resume ITM Cup games but was knocked out and concussed in a freak accident late at training today.

"We were doing a defence drill and he had a collision with Taleni Seu who came on the blindside flank against Southland," coach Paul Feeney said.

"They were going for the same ball and they both got concussed, it was just a freak accident five minutes from the end of the session."

The Auckland medical team looked after both players and neither reported any ill-affects while Faumuina's wife drove in to collect him and take him home.

He will miss Auckland's game against Taranaki on Sunday but Feeney was hopeful he will be fit to play Canterbury next Saturday, the day before the 31-man All Black World Cup squad is revealed.

Feeney said All Black Charles Piutau had trained strongly and would play on the wing at the weekend.

Faumuina noticed a problem during the Super 15 when he started to lose strength in his left arm during extended training sessions.

"The nerve was being compressed and they did some scans and found out about the problem in my neck. I could still play with it, it wasn't sore but when I got in the gym I was losing strength.

Faumuina had a cortisone injection to improve his strength and range of movement but there was little change so he was booked in for surgery.

There were several options - one which gave him a shot at the World Cup or another which would take him out of rugby for six months and park his tournament ambitions alongside the injured Aaron Cruden and Patrick Tuipulotu.