Wycliff’s World Cup Dream Not Over Yet

Wycliff Palu has undergone surgery on his injured knee as he battles to be fit in time for the Rugby World Cup.

Palu’s career has been cruelled by injuries in recent times, however the Wallabies number eight is confident that we will be back on the paddock in time to play in the World Cup in New Zealand.

Palu has been battling knee problems for the best part of 18 months now. He missed the Wallabies spring campaign of 2010 after requiring a knee reconstruction, while he managed just six Super Rugby games this season because of the injury.

However a Wallabies spokesman said the most recent surgery was ‘minor’ and that Palu was still a realistic chance of featuring in the World Cup.

With Palu injured Ben McCalman, Radike Samo and Scott Higginbotham are the front runners to wear the number eight jersey during the tri-nations.

Palu is expected to be among a number of fringe Wallabies who will take part in the Australian Barbarians match against Canada on the Gold Coast two weeks before the kick-off of the World Cup.

Injured scrum half Luke Burgess could be in for an earlier than expected return to Wallabies fold after coach Robbie Deans made the decision to send Nick Phipps back to club rugby for the weekend.

Burgess broke his hand in the lead up to the Waratahs semi-final clash against the Blues and has not played since, however it is believed he will get the nod on the bench against the All Blacks at Eden Park next week.

With the Wallabies not having a test match this weekend a number of players have been released to play club rugby. Unless there is an injury to a player in the starting line-up it is unlikely that any of the players released for club rugby this weekend will feature in the Eden Park match up against the All-Blacks next weekend.

Rod Davies, Dave Dennis, Matt Giteau, James Hanson, Rob Horne, Luke Morahan, Dean Mumm, Beau Robinson, Radike Samo, Lachie Turner and Dan Vickerman will all head back to club rugby this weekend, meaning they are unlikely to feature in the Wallabies attempts to defeat the All Blacks at Eden Park for the first time since 1986.