Blues' back row takes yet another hit

Angus Macdonald is helped off the field after injuring his knee in the clash against the Bulls at Eden Park on Friday night. Picture / Kenny Rodger

The Blues took a further hit yesterday with Angus Macdonald becoming the third loose forward to be ruled out of their Super 14 campaign.

Macdonald will need surgery on a ruptured cruciate ligament in his right knee, an injury which may eliminate him from the provincial championship as well.

The flanker revealed how he was hurt at a breakdown when teammate Troy Flavell was shunted into the side of his knee in the early stages of the Blues' 30-17 win against the Bulls.

The scan results arrived just before training yesterday and coach David Nucifora had not had any time to think about a possible squad replacement.

But he did confirm that Jerome Kaino was not yet ready to return.

Kaino had shoulder surgery before the series had even begun and Justin Collins ruptured his Achilles tendon against the Reds.

Add the hamstring woes of opensider Daniel Braid, the hip injury for Flavell and a bruised muscle suffered at training yesterday by replacement Onosai Tololima-Auva'a and the Blues' loose-forward resources are stretched severely.

"It's a big blow," Nucifora said.

"Angus is an important part of this team both on and off the field.

"His versatility also means a heck of a lot to us.

"It's a big blow for him personally because he was settling into the back row."

Flavell, Braid, Nick Williams, Steve Devine, Luke McAlister, Anthony Tuitavake and Doug Howlett all sat out the heavier contact sessions yesterday as they protected a range of injuries.

McAlister will test his shoulder over the next few days and is confident he will be fit for the Blues' next match on Saturday against the Stormers.

However, the selectors have to balance the merits of using McAlister's gifts and retaining the backline which did the business against the Bulls. Makeshift five-eighths Isa Nacewa was superb and his colleagues all fired.

"He is a problem for us, Isa, because everywhere you put him he plays well and he did a great job for us," Nucifora said.

"[McAlister] is a damaging player but he has not played a lot of football in the last few weeks but we want to get him back into the mix also.

"First we have to work out how fit he is and I don't think we need to be rushing a person who is not 100 per cent fit back into the game."

Nucifora was heartened by the victory against the Bulls and the way his side out-enthused and out-muscled a side who rated themselves the most physical in the competition.

He said the only downer had been the lineouts but there was no panic about repairing that set-piece work for the Stormers' challenge.

Keven Mealamu had suffered the throwing "yips" but that would be fixed for Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Stormers arrived in Auckland with Zimbabwean wing Tonderai Chavhanga after lengthy arrangements to secure his visa.

NZ hardened its stance on Zimbabwe last year in response to human rights abuses and cancelled the visas of the cricket side due to tour here.

The Stormers avoided some embarrassment at the start of their Australasian tour with a 26-25 win over the Force when flanker Luke Watson scored a late try.

Former Springbok flanker Joe Van Niekerk made a brief comeback in that match after a long-term injury and is expected to be part of the squad for this week.