Injury reopens test door for Somerville

Greg Somerville warms up for his 44th test cap. Picture / Brett Phibbs

Greg Somerville will play his 44th test when he runs out against the Lions tomorrow after regular tighthead prop Carl Hayman was ruled out with an infected foot.

There is also some doubt about Hayman's availability for the final test of the series because he was still in hospital on a course of antibiotics yesterday,

The late change promoted rookie international prop Campbell Johnstone into the All Black reserves for a match the touring Lions must win to keep the series alive.
"It is a blow, but Greg has also been playing well and it is a test of the depth of our squad," All Black coach Graham Henry said.

Hayman was treated originally in February for an inflamed abrasion over the knuckle on his big toe where his boot kept rubbing.

"It grumbled and failed to heal through the pressure of training through the Super 12," team doctor Graham Paterson said.

"When he came into our group to prepare for the Maori game I thought the area was superficially infected. I put him on some antibiotics, started some local treatment and the thing improved dramatically."

Somerville played for the All Blacks against Fiji the day before Hayman played for the Maori against the Lions, with Hayman winning the nod for the first test against the Lions.

Somerville had been the first-choice tighthead for several years and through the 2003 World Cup when Hayman missed selection in the squad.

But from last season the huge Otago front-rower has taken over.

Hayman finished the antibiotic course on Friday, the day before the first test in Christchurch, and the wound had almost disappeared.

"He played the test without any incident and had nothing afterwards," Paterson said.

"But after training on Monday he noticed his foot was sore and swollen, and then this thing just sort of took off. "Obviously a germ got in through that portal and it started getting away."

Further antibiotics were prescribed, but overnight it worsened and on Tuesday morning Hayman was admitted to hospital in Wellington for a course of intravenous antibiotics.

"He made a good response initially," Paterson said. "The spread of infection reduced 50 per cent in the first 24 hours, but since then the rate of improvement has slowed and he is just having further investigations to make sure there is no other reason why it is slowing down."

Hayman's foot was still very swollen yesterday and the All Black medicos were perplexed about why recovery had not been much quicker.

The prop was deemed unfit for selection for Wellington and there were no guarantees he would recover for Auckland.