Larkham injury serious

By WYNNE GRAY in Sydney

Stephen Larkham will miss the Tri-Nations series because of nerve damage in his shoulder and the Wallaby first five-eighths has his comeback sights set, at best, on an end-of-year tour.

The wiry Larkham accepts he will not play against the All Blacks or Springboks because of crushed nerves which have left his right arm limp and his shoulder out of action.

Larkham is preparing for a series of scans and there are fears he may need ground-breaking surgery to revive his career.

"If the nerve has been severed, I'd need a skin graft," Larkham said yesterday, "and they're still only experimenting with that. Otherwise, it's a matter of waiting."

"The nerves are not firing and the muscle is not working."

Larkham's withdrawal and the recovery by the Lions' Jonny Wilkinson after what was first thought to be a broken leg have added another late twist to the deciding match of the series in Stadium Australia tonight.

The last time Elton Flatley, the fill-in tonight for Larkham, started a test at first five-eighths was against Scotland four years ago.

After that game, Larkham was switched from fullback to No 10 and Flatley has had only three more internationals as a substitute.