Rugby: Rehab injury a cruel blow to ABs hopes

Nathan Harris has been sidelined since injuring his ankle on the All Blacks' end-of-year tour. Photo / Getty Images

Blocked vein throws doubt on Chiefs hooker’s availability for the World Cup.

He is repeatedly touted as the All Blacks' third hooking option but Nathan Harris first must focus on getting back on the field.

Harris has been stuck on the sidelines since injuring his ankle on the end-of-year tour and, for the last several weeks, a return to action with the Chiefs seemed imminent.

But the 23-year-old has suffered a setback in his rehabilitation, throwing into doubt both his immediate playing fate and his status as the front-runner to join Dane Coles and Keven Mealamu at the World Cup.

Harris, having stepped up his training in anticipation of a run out this month, is now back in a moon boot after an MRI found a blocked vein in his big toe. The ailment prevented efficient blood flow to the digit and caused pain and inflammation, shutting him down for a couple of weeks.

Currently awaiting the all clear before resuming his rehab, there is no guarantee Harris will find full fitness in the remaining month of the regular season. And, if he fails to take the field for the Chiefs, there is a similar lack of certainty surrounding his international prospects.

"It's a bit frustrating," Harris said of the extended lay-off. "But I've just got to make sure my body's right first and work on picking up from where I left off last year.

"So I just need to get my foot right and make sure I do right by that, because I don't want to end up with a buggered knee or something."

Harris and the medical staff were unsure whether such a scenario was at fault for the current problem - whether it was borne out of the ankle injury the hooker suffered in Chicago. The blockage in his toe could have been a complication from surgery or it could have been a result of a rehab heavy on running. Whatever the cause, Harris remained hopeful of playing some part in the Chiefs' final five games.

"The medical staff will take the best steps and be precautionary, so I've just got to bide my time a little bit," he said. "But I'm really looking forward to getting back with the boys. They've got a good tough few games coming up and we're in the back half of the season, so I can't wait to get back into it."

If that optimism proves unfounded, Harris, like fellow long-term absentee Tawera Kerr-Barlow, will be left relying on ITM Cup action to prove himself deserving of a spot on the plane to England.

And if that pass mark never arrives, it could be to the benefit of a teammate. Hika Elliot has excelled in the No2 jersey during a comeback season of his own and, from his vantage point as a spectator, Harris thought Elliot would be worthy of an All Blacks recall.

"From last year and having his injury and now coming back like this, he's been playing out of his skin."