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MARSEILLE - Wallabies No 8 David Lyons has vowed to fight his way back from the horror injury run which has stalled his 44-test rugby career.
A shattered Lyons' World Cup campaign was cut short yesterday when he fractured his fibula in the 37-6 win over Canada.
He joins winger Mark Gerrard (ankle) as the second Australian to be ruled out during the pool stages while first five-eighth Stephen Larkham remains in doubt of returning from knee surgery.
Lyons' blow caps a dreadful two-year stretch where he's played just four tests due to back and groin injuries as well as a blood clot in his leg.
He will now need an operation to insert a screw in his lower leg.
The 27-year-old must also undergo further scans for a suspected dislocation of his ankle.
The 117kg loose forward may now struggle to start next year's Super 14 for the Waratahs.
"I've had a bad couple of years after never having any injuries in my whole career really," Lyons said today.
"This will be another one to get over and, touch wood, be right from then on. People say it a lot but injuries are a part of the game and it's been disappointing and it's been hard but it comes with the territory.
"So I'm looking forward to getting into it now and trying to get myself right again."
Lyons, who started in Australia's 2003 World Cup final loss to England, only proved his fitness for the 2007 campaign after undergoing two medical procedures to flush out his deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
The daily medication for his clot will force him to stay in France for a fortnight despite being ruled out last night.
Team doctor Martin Raftery said there needed to be a delicate balancing act in treating the injury as well as having Lyons return on to his blood-thinning medication.
"The problem we've got is the treatment for his DVT thins his blood which means when he sustains a fracture it makes him bleed a lot more," Raftery said.
"Subsequently he's got quite a swollen leg and what we've got to do is control that swelling and bleeding and at the same time get him back on to his DVT treatment.
"Otherwise he's going to redevelop that clot."
Lyons, in his first start of the tournament, was in rampaging form against Canada before being cut down from behind early in the second half.
"I was feeling really good on the field so it was disappointing from that aspect as well," he said.
"I went through a bit of a half break and someone tackled me from behind and my leg was behind me and went right down on the back of my ankle basically.
"I felt a crack straight away."
- AAP
