Rugby: Hurt back sidelines Donald for month

Stephen Donald of the Chiefs lies injured. Photo / Getty Images

The Chiefs' injury curse is back with a vengeance, with playmaker Stephen Donald ruled out for a month with a broken back.

In a bizarre twist, the injury, which you might see once every few years, is the same as suffered by captain Mils Muliaina in the round three win against the Rebels, also in Hamilton.

Donald took a blow to his back when he went after a loose ball in the opening minutes of Friday night's clash with the Sharks. He briefly tried to soldier on but the pain became too much and he was replaced by Mike Delany, who kicked four penalties in the Chiefs' gutsy 15-9 win.

Donald was taken to hospital where scans revealed fractures to the transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae. Like Muliaina, the Chiefs expect Donald to miss four weeks of rugby, which includes a tricky stretch of games against the Blues, Waratahs and Crusaders.

With their rounds 10 and 11 matches against the Lions and Bulls in South Africa, the Chiefs could even opt to leave him at home to avoid two long-haul flights. In that case he would rejoin the squad for a May 7 clash with the Highlanders at home.

His absence further muddies the waters for Graham Henry as he and his selectors search for a viable back-up to Dan Carter.

For all his detractors, Donald has 22 tests under his belt and in his one outing this year against another contender, he clearly out-pointed the Hurricanes' Aaron Cruden.

Colin Slade is yet to play for the Highlanders and is unproven as a first five-eighths at Super 15 level, let alone tests, while Luke McAlister is, at best, a No 12 who can wear 10.

At least Delany, out of favour since making the 2009 end-of-year tour, gets a prolonged chance to press his claim.

The Chiefs had a shocking run with injuries in 2010, their campaign foundering on the loss of key players including Muliaina and Donald. Others - such as Aled de Malmanche, Sitiveni Sivivatu and Kevin O'Neill - spent prolonged periods in the sick bay.

Also nursing knocks after the win against the Sharks were Romana Graham, Ben May and Isaac Ross. Their status ahead of the visit of the Blues should become clearer tomorrow.

On a brighter note, Richard Kahui, a player not known for being robust, is back and looking relatively rust free.

"I didn't feel out of place," Kahui said. "There were a couple of opportunities I missed, but being away from rugby for six months, that was always going to happen."

In a game dictated to a large extent by the conditions, Kahui and his midfield partner Tana Umaga were forced largely into defensive roles.

Not that Kahui minded, the very fact that he was standing next to the 74-test veteran was a concept he would have struggled to get his head around 12 months ago.

"I never thought he'd be back playing Super 15 rugby, and especially not for us.

"It's great to have him here. He's great on the field and even better off it.

"To be honest, we didn't have to play too much rugby out in the backs, but the ball we did get we used it pretty well."

Unlike first five-eighth, New Zealand rugby is blessed with some uncommon talent in the midfield.

"There's a lot of good players out there and a lot of players that need to play well in this Super 15.

"I'm just looking forward to contributing and playing some good rugby for this Chiefs team."