Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is in a race against time to be fit to face the British & Irish Lions, with the Wallabies star set to miss the rest of the Super Rugby Pacific regular season with a fractured jaw.
Suaalii will undergo surgery on a “small undisplaced fracture” he sustained in an accidental collision with a NSW Waratahs teammate against the Queensland Reds on Friday night.
The collision with Andrew Kellaway’s knee left Suaalii with a concussion, forcing him to be carted off the pitch. But having complained of soreness as he recovered from the head knock, further investigations revealed a small fracture that will require an operation to reinforce the affected area.
Suaalii now faces a minimum of four weeks on the sidelines before a review of the injury will inform a return-to-play plan. There are three weeks of the Super Rugby regular season remaining; the Waratahs must win all three games if they are to make the finals.
The blow leaves Suaalii facing the prospect of not playing any more competitive rugby before the Wallabies coach, Joe Schmidt, who has spoken of the importance of assessing players’ form in Super Rugby, names his squad for the Lions tour.
“This is unfortunate for us and especially for Joseph,” said the Waratahs head coach, Dan McKellar.
“We wish him all the best in his recovery and return to full health. We will do all we can to facilitate his recovery in consultation with Rugby Australia to have him in the best shape possible for his availability for the Wallabies.”
The Wallabies kick-off their season with a Test against Fiji in Newcastle on 6 July before beginning a highly anticipated three-Test series against the Lions in Brisbane on 19 July.
Suaalii’s season had already been interrupted by injury; the multimillion-dollar acquisition from rugby league missed the opening rounds of Super Rugby with a foot complaint.
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Having played for the Sydney Roosters in the NRL, the 21-year-old switched to union and burst on to the international scene with a scintillating debut against England at Twickenham in November, before he had even played a game for the Waratahs.
In the wake of his concussion last week, Schmidt indicated on Monday he would prefer not to delay Suaalii’s return to play.
“I’m keen to see him keep playing,” he said. “He’s missed a few games already this season. He hasn’t had that many games anyway so, for Joseph, it’s important that he just keep playing when he’s fit and available to play.”
