Hurricanes hooker Motu Matu'u's season looks to be all but over due to the knee injury he suffered in his side's loss to the Crusaders in Nelson last Friday night.
Matu'u was at Hurricanes training at Rugby League Park in Newtown today in a heavy leg brace and was walking with crutches. He was due to be sent for a scan tomorrow but coach Chris Boyd said it didn't look good.
"Motu Matu'u's probably got a grade two MCL [injury], which means, he'll be out for probably at least four weeks. At least," Boyd said.
Given the Super Rugby final is five weeks away, it's hard to see Matu'u taking the field again this season even if the Hurricanes do make the showpiece match.
Wider training group hooker Leni Apisai is taking a break from rugby after suffering a couple of head knocks lately, which leaves fourth-string option Brayden Mitchell as the man to play behind Dane Coles. Wellington rake James O'Reilly has joined the squad as further cover.
The 35-18 loss to the Crusaders was also damaging in the sense that outside back Matt Proctor is out for this Friday's match against the Highlanders after he suffered a concussion in Nelson and is still having lingering symptoms. He will continue to be monitored.
Hurricanes first-five Beauden Barrett, who has missed the past four games with a knee injury, was expected to train this afternoon and a decision would then be made on whether he had recovered sufficiently to meet the Highlanders in Napier.
"It's probably still 50/50," Boyd said.
If Barrett recovers in time, that would allow Otere Black to join the New Zealand under-20s in Italy as they begin their world championship tournament.
The Hurricanes need to give Ma'a Nonu one more week off -- as is the protocol for All Blacks this year -- and it remains to be seen whether that will be on Friday or in the final match of the regular season against the Chiefs on June 13.
A win over the Highlanders this week - or two bonus points in a loss - would ensure the Hurricanes claim top spot on the Super Rugby standings and book home advantage for the playoffs.
Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph signalled he would rest All Blacks Aaron Smith, Ben Smith and Malakai Fekitoa this Friday.
"I wouldn't rest them if I didn't have to, I don't want to change the momentum," Joseph told reporters after his side's 36-9 win over the Chiefs in Invercargill on Saturday.
"But that's something that everyone has brought into and I do understand the reason why."
Boyd said he hadn't heard of the Highlanders' plan to rest that influential trio but he played down their potential absence.
"It doesn't really matter. I mean, the Crusaders had 10 [players] out and we didn't do so good against them," Boyd said.
Meanwhile, Jonny Bentley has arrived in the capital as the answer to Wellington's first-five woes at ITM Cup level.
Bentley is a former club rugby standout for Hutt Old Boys Marist and has played in Japan and England since he left Wellington in 2007 after he was told he had little future with the union.
The 28-year-old was on the books at English premiership club Gloucester in 2013 but injuries curtailed his time there. New Wellington coach Earl Va'a has long been a fan of Bentley and was keen to have him on board after the Lions struggled to settle on a regular No 10 last year.
- By Daniel Richardson of NZME. News Service
