Willis out of rugby for rest of 2005

Tom WIllis

Former All Blacks hooker Tom Willis will not play rugby again this year, ruling himself out of both the Chiefs and Waikato to give his injured back time to heal.

The decision is a blow to the Chiefs, for whom Willis was a major influence following his transfer from Otago last season before suffering a prolapsed disc in his back during the Super 12 last April.

And fellow All Black Keith Robinson was to see a surgeon today to get a prognosis on his back injury after his recovery slowed considerably in the last month, placing in serious doubt his scheduled April 1 return for the Chiefs.

Willis, 25, said today his decision to take the rest of the year off rugby was ultimately based on medical advice, which would have been foolish to ignore, especially considering his relatively young age.

"I've had to accept the fact I've had a serious injury and it hasn't worked out the way I would have liked. Because it involves my back I have to take a very conservative approach," Willis said.

Last year he underwent surgery to repair a prolapsed disc in his back, came back towards the end of the NPC season, initially with Waikato B and then the A team -- but he didn't get through his only appearance for the latter.

"Arguably I might have come back before I should have. I started getting a sore back but there was no evidence that it was the same injury."

Then it was discovered he had a disc infection that was causing the bone to deteriorate. A three-month course of medication has caused the bone to start regrowing but not fast enough to allow Willis to play in this year's Super 12.

"It's a matter of giving that extra time to grow strong again. There was maybe an option to come back midway through the NPC but there was a chance I could undo it all again, which was not worth risking at my age."

Instead he has gone with a plan to try and prolong his career by taking off the rest of 2005, while continuing to follow a training programme mapped out by Chiefs medical and training staff.

"I need to cut my losses basically. I plan to get away from rugby for a while. I need to occupy my mind."

Instead he is considering completing the final stage that would turn his law degree into a law career. He needs to complete a course to do that.

"I'm not one to sit around and do nothing. I'm definitely going along to this week's game but I think I'm going to slowly wean myself off rugby and make myself scarce for a while because it becomes quite difficult watching all the time.

"But I'll keep training and hopefully come back 110 per cent in 2006."

Chiefs coach Ian Foster said the news on Willis was a huge disappointment for the team because the initial prognosis was that after such a long period of rest he should be right to play in the Super 12 by April. Willis was a key man in the squad as both a fine hooker and a proven leader.

"But from Tom's perspective it's better he uses 2005 to allow his back to heal up properly."

Scott Linklater now becomes a permanent member of the Chiefs squad in place of Willis, with Bay of Plenty's Ngarimu Simpkins confirmed in the wider training group.

Meanwhile, Robinson was to see a surgeon today to seek expert opinion on his own comeback from back surgery.

Robinson missed last year's NPC, having surgery to shave off a piece of spinal disc pressing on his sciatic nerve as well as knee surgery to repair cartilage damage.

The sciatic pain has disappeared as a result, but he is still suffering other back pain and his progress has slowed in the last month.

He had been working towards an April 1 return for the Chiefs but that must now be in doubt depending on the prognosis from the specialist.

- NZPA