The Hurricanes won six of six in Super Rugby Pacific on Saturday, but their victory over the Highlanders was marred by an injury to All Blacks' Cam Rougaard.
The Canes scored seven tries in total as they defeated their New Zealand rivals 47-12 at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, but an injury to Rougaard denied them victory.
The All Blacks' No.9 was sent off in the 57th minute with what appeared to be a serious knee problem, and the experienced TJ Perenara took his place at halfback.
Concerns about Roygard
Rojgaard had already surpassed the Keynes whitewash with tries from Xavier Noumia, Peter Lakay, Asafo Aumua, Josh Movie, Perenara and Justin Sangster.
It has since been determined that the injury may be a patella issue, and as Hurricanes head coach Clark Laidlaw spoke to the media after the game, the issue was a major concern for everyone involved. There is.
“Injuries are part of the game,” he told Stuff. “It's very disappointing not only for us but also for him.
“I don't really know what he did, but I'm going to let him evaluate it.
“He went to the hospital to get x-rays and tests, so we'll find out tonight or tomorrow morning.
“It's always a little sad to see one of our best players sustain an injury that looks serious.
“…It could be the patella tendon, but it's going to take a lot of time for Cam to rest. He's a pretty tough guy, so it obviously hurt.
“I hope it's not as serious as it seems.”
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The Highlanders suffered their fourth defeat of the Super Rugby season and were languishing in eighth place at the weekend, proving no match for the solid league leaders.
The tries were scored by Folau Fakataba and Jacob Ratumaitabuki-Knepkens, but the latter's early yellow card was costly as the Hurricanes crossed twice in between.
In fact, the card was created when Rojgaard agonized close to a cross for the first try of the match, before Ratumaitavki-Knepkens finished it off at the ruck.
The Hurricanes then dominated with prop Noumia and flanker Lakay paving the way for a big win that kept them at the top of Super Rugby for another week.
By contrast, derby woes have become an all-too-frequent experience, as it has been three years since the Highlanders last defeated their fellow New Zealand side.
Both the Highlanders and Hurricanes will now enjoy a bye week, with promising All Blacks scrum-half Rougaard no doubt receiving plenty of treatment.
Following the retirement of Aaron Smith, arguably the country's best ever No. 9, from Test rugby, Rougaard was widely favored to step into the black shirt on a long-term basis.
Thank you to everyone who cared about our friend and teammate Cam. He is currently being evaluated by medical staff and will provide updates soon. 🌪️ pic.twitter.com/ApF40BRfce
— Hurricanes Rugby (@Hurricanesrugby) March 30, 2024
While the player, the Hurricanes and the All Blacks will be anxiously waiting to see what happens with the injury over the next few days, the Hurricanes have provided a brief update in a post by X.
The Hurricanes will resume play on Saturday, April 13th, at home against the Chiefs, while the Highlanders will face the Melbourne Rebels (away) on the same day.
Meanwhile, the All Blacks' 2024 schedule, led by new head coach Scott Robertson, is scheduled to begin on Saturday, July 6, against England at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.
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