Could this be a first for the ITM Cup?
A coach missing a match through injury ... yes indeed.
Magpies co-coach Peter Russell told SportToday last week his team had experienced "a s**t of a week" with injuries but he didn't mention he could miss Saturday's seventh-round clash against Waikato at McLeanPark, Napier, because of an injury.
Early last week Russell complained of a crook back after moving a scrum machine at training. On Saturday morning he couldn't move when he tried to get out of bed.
Magpies manager Neil Weber sent the team's fitness trainers Grant Dearns and Karl Bloxham to Russell's home so he could be carried out of his house and taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital by ambulance at 11.30am.
"It appears to be a disc problem and Peter has to wait until the swelling goes down before he hears what action can be taken," Weber said.
"Peter arrived home from hospital in time to watch the game on television and sent us a congratulatory text just minutes after the final whistle," Weber added.
