The Lions tour is looming and New Zealand’s injury doubts are mounting.
It’s less than a month until the Lions kick off their 2017 campaign in New Zealand and a worrying amount of Kiwis are major doubts for the tour.
So far, the All Blacks will be concerned about the broken thumbs of captain Kieran Read and Liam Squire, Jerome Kaino’s and Israel Dagg’s knee surgeries, Nehe Milner-Skudder’s fractured foot and Dan Coles calf and concussion as that first Test date bears down.
We can also add Sonny Bill Williams to that ever-increasing list.
Time some #hijama 🙌🏽 pic.twitter.com/PmC4XjDmwJ
— Sonny Bill Williams (@SonnyBWilliams) May 7, 2017
Williams was taken off during the Blues’ 40-33 Super Rugby victory over the Waratahs on Saturday for a head injury assessment just before half time. He didn’t return to action and after the game, Blues coach Tana Umaga could not confirm the result of the assessment, as he explained to NZME.
“It will be a wait and see how he responds. It’s just how he pulls up today, how he pulls up tomorrow. He was still having symptoms after the game.”
“I just talked to the doctor, who said I don’t think he should go back on. I don’t know if he failed the test as such.”
Obviously, Williams is a massive presence in the New Zealand team and would be a huge loss for the tour. However, this news is a worry for the wider world of rugby as Williams is the second All Blacks player in a week to emerge as a long-term concussion doubt, Coles being the other.
