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Bullitt
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Brumbies and Australia prop Ben Alexander is the first high-profile injury victim of the 2010 Super 14, breaking a finger in training on Monday.
Alexander suffered the setback on Friday when he collided with a team-mate during a routine running drill and is out until at least the Brumbies' second-round match against the Bulls in Pretoria, although the prospect of surgery means he could be out longer.
"Yeah not the start I'd like to the year," Alexander told reporters on Monday after the accident.
"I came back early trying to rip in and get a good in good shape and really hit the ground running that first game against the Force.
"Hopefully I'll still be able to play the opener. I can still do the running and stuff so I've got no excuse not to be fit for the first game.
"It puts a bit of a dampener on the skills side of things but no excuses. Hopefully if I don't need an operation I should be right for that first game and I'll be happy."
While disappointed, the likable prop is philosophical over the timing of his ailment.
"The Super 14's not a long tournament so four weeks in the middle of the season, that knocks you out for nearly a third of the season so now's definitely a good time to have it," he said.
"I had a pretty good year last year playing every game including Tests and Super 14 and to not to have an injury and miss any games I was very thankful. If I was going to get an injury ... I'd be happier to get it now than in a month's time."
"So I can be happy with that side of things but I'm pretty unhappy with how it happened. It was a bit of a nothing event - it wasn't a spectacular collision or anything."
Asked to recall how the injury occurred, he replied: "Just doing running lines at 50 percent and I just ran into one of the other guys and I just sort of put my hands up to break the impact."
"I must have had my hand at the wrong angle and I felt it go straight away but I wasn't too sure what had happened."
"You jam fingers all the time on footballs and it hurts but you sort of get over it. So I tried to keep training but I went and saw the physio and he knew what was wrong straight away.
"I wasn't over doing it or anything it could have happened any day of the week. I wasn't overdoing it or trying to push the envelope.
"I mean I don't feel bad in the sense that I know I wasn't overdoing it or anything. It was just a freak accident and nothing could have been done about it."
With Alexander joining props Jerry Yanuyanutawa (stress fracture) and Jono Owen (calf strain) on the sidelines, Head Coach Andy Friend opted to re-recruit a familiar face as short-term cover in the form of John Ulugaia, who joins Salesi Ma'afu and Guy Shepherdson as first-string props within the squad.
"It's not ideal losing three front rowers in quick succession but the silver lining is that it's happening now and not one or two weeks into the Super 14," said Friend to AAP.
"We're fortunate that we've been able to bring someone into the squad who has Super 14 experience and who knows the CA Brumbies set-up and players within the squad extremely well.
"John's only 23 and still has the ambition to play professional rugby. He's been keeping fit and continuing his training up in Sydney so physically he's ready to go."
Ulugia spent four seasons (2006-2009) with the Brumbies and has played 12 Super 14 matches at prop and hooker.
http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3...5852262,00.html
Alexander suffered the setback on Friday when he collided with a team-mate during a routine running drill and is out until at least the Brumbies' second-round match against the Bulls in Pretoria, although the prospect of surgery means he could be out longer.
"Yeah not the start I'd like to the year," Alexander told reporters on Monday after the accident.
"I came back early trying to rip in and get a good in good shape and really hit the ground running that first game against the Force.
"Hopefully I'll still be able to play the opener. I can still do the running and stuff so I've got no excuse not to be fit for the first game.
"It puts a bit of a dampener on the skills side of things but no excuses. Hopefully if I don't need an operation I should be right for that first game and I'll be happy."
While disappointed, the likable prop is philosophical over the timing of his ailment.
"The Super 14's not a long tournament so four weeks in the middle of the season, that knocks you out for nearly a third of the season so now's definitely a good time to have it," he said.
"I had a pretty good year last year playing every game including Tests and Super 14 and to not to have an injury and miss any games I was very thankful. If I was going to get an injury ... I'd be happier to get it now than in a month's time."
"So I can be happy with that side of things but I'm pretty unhappy with how it happened. It was a bit of a nothing event - it wasn't a spectacular collision or anything."
Asked to recall how the injury occurred, he replied: "Just doing running lines at 50 percent and I just ran into one of the other guys and I just sort of put my hands up to break the impact."
"I must have had my hand at the wrong angle and I felt it go straight away but I wasn't too sure what had happened."
"You jam fingers all the time on footballs and it hurts but you sort of get over it. So I tried to keep training but I went and saw the physio and he knew what was wrong straight away.
"I wasn't over doing it or anything it could have happened any day of the week. I wasn't overdoing it or trying to push the envelope.
"I mean I don't feel bad in the sense that I know I wasn't overdoing it or anything. It was just a freak accident and nothing could have been done about it."
With Alexander joining props Jerry Yanuyanutawa (stress fracture) and Jono Owen (calf strain) on the sidelines, Head Coach Andy Friend opted to re-recruit a familiar face as short-term cover in the form of John Ulugaia, who joins Salesi Ma'afu and Guy Shepherdson as first-string props within the squad.
"It's not ideal losing three front rowers in quick succession but the silver lining is that it's happening now and not one or two weeks into the Super 14," said Friend to AAP.
"We're fortunate that we've been able to bring someone into the squad who has Super 14 experience and who knows the CA Brumbies set-up and players within the squad extremely well.
"John's only 23 and still has the ambition to play professional rugby. He's been keeping fit and continuing his training up in Sydney so physically he's ready to go."
Ulugia spent four seasons (2006-2009) with the Brumbies and has played 12 Super 14 matches at prop and hooker.
http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3...5852262,00.html
