Crusaders fullback and All Black hopeful Israel Dagg faces a race against time to be fit for the Rugby World Cup after undergoing surgery on his quadriceps injury yesterday which will keep him out of rugby for three months.
The Hawke's Bay 22-year-old injured the muscle in the Crusaders' win over the Stormers in Cape Town on May 7 and the decision to operate was made after he saw a specialist in Christchurch.
Dagg, who missed the All Blacks' end-of-year tour last season with an injury to another part of his quadriceps after playing six tests in 2010, told Hawke's Bay Today he was optimistic of making a return to the field before the All Black selectors chose their World Cup squad.
"Hopefully I can get a couple of games in for the Magpies and play my way into the World Cup.
"It's definitely not the time to be injured but if we do everything right with the rehab I could be back playing by the end of July.
"I'll just have to take each step of the rehab as it comes, get the strength back in the quad again and keep positive," Dagg said.
