Robinson’s season looks to be over

Keith Robinson

Keith Robinson's attempted return to the Chiefs for the rest of the Super 12 season looks all but over.

The All Black was still flat on his back at home yesterday nursing an aggravation of his long-standing back injury, suffered during afternoon lineout drills on Saturday afternoon that forced him out of his comeback game against the Sharks a few hours later.

The hard-working lock had been sidelined from top rugby for nine months since last year's All Blacks test against the Pacific Islanders, but did manage 40 minutes of club rugby for Morrinsville Sports on March 25.

"It's the same old injury and there's been no improvement," Chiefs doctor Zig Khouri said yesterday.

"He's still at home flat on his back and he won't be training this week and won't be playing."

While a call has yet to be made on whether the Chiefs will still take Robinson with them to South Africa on Saturday after playing the Cats at home on Friday night, it seems unlikely he would be risked on tour.

Long airline flights have been known to aggravate back injuries.

The Chiefs bounced off the bottom of the table and up to ninth spot with their 40-5 win over the Sharks at Waikato Stadium.

That kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a second win and first bonus point.

However, they do have injury worries among their forwards.

Captain Jono Gibbes missed the latest match with a hamstring tear, while stand-in skipper and hard-working No 8 Steven Bates sprained a hamstring tendon behind his knee in that match.

"It has the potential to be serious, but it could be anything from a week to three weeks," Khouri said of Bates.

"We'll probably be making a call on him today or tomorrow on whether he plays this week."

Meanwhile, promising Sharks halfback Ruan Pienaar is not seriously injured, despite being taken from the field by stretcher at halftime on Saturday night with his neck in a brace.

The 21-year-old took a blow to his neck in an unusual accident when he was hurled away from a ruck by Chiefs lock Sean Hohneck and one of his own team-mates ran into him.

Pienaar was discharged from Waikato Hospital the same night.

- NZPA