Polota-Nau in doubt for Waratahs

The renowned resilience of NSW Test hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau is being tested with
the durable rake in doubt for the Waratahs' Super 14 season home debut against the
Sharks on Saturday.
Polota-Nau, who missed only two Super games in his first four seasons, injured his
hamstring early on in the loss to the Bulls in Pretoria last Saturday.
The 24-year-old frontrower was headed for a scan on the afflicted area straight
after arriving back in Sydney on Monday afternoon.
He was hopeful of playing against the Sharks at the Sydney Football Stadium, but his
coach Chris Hickey was waiting until the results of the scan were determined on
Tuesday.
"It's a hamstring strain fairly high, we're just not too sure to what extent,
there's some doubt there," Hickey said at Sydney Airport.
"It actually happened quite early in the first half and he found he couldn't really
stretch out, so we made the decision at halftime to put Damien Fitzpatrick on and he
did a good job for us in the second half."
If Polota-Nau is ruled out against the Sharks, former Australian under-20s and
schoolboys captain Fitzpatrick will deputise, with former Force hooker Luke Holmes
set to make his Waratahs debut off the bench.
Hickey said Wallabies hooker Adam Freier was still about four weeks away from
playing following back surgery, though he had started running this week.
The Waratahs coach was more optimistic about the fitness prospects of Test prop Benn
Robinson, who took another shoulder knock against the Bulls.
"We are reasonably confident that will settle down by Saturday," Hickey said of
Robinson's injury.
Recently recruited lock Cam Jowitt, who missed the Waratahs' two games in South
Africa after suffering an ankle injury in the opening round clash against
Queensland, is still another week from returning.
The Waratahs' forward stocks will be boosted by the return from a two-match
suspension of Wallabies lock and flanker Dean Mumm.
The versatile forward can play in either the second or back rows, but Hickey was
keeping mum about which position the Test star would slot into on Saturday.
Mumm played at blindside flanker against Queensland, but could find himself back in
the second row this weekend, with Ben Mowen re-establishing himself in the No. 6
jersey in South Africa.
Hickey said he was unlikely to make any changes outside of ones forced by injuries,
as he wanted to develop combinations.
Exciting young centre Rob Horne, who made a cameo return off the bench against the
Bulls, following a series of hamstring injuries isn't ready to start yet, according
to Hickey.
The coach lavished praise on 20-year-old lock Kane Douglas, who made his first two
Super starts after debuting off the bench against Queensland.
"He's a player that's improved over the last 12 months and every time he's been
given an opportunity to play he's performed," Hickey said of Douglas.
"It was a big challenge for a 20-year-old matching up against (Bulls skipper and
Springbok lock) Victor Matfield, I thought he did great credit to himself."
Hickey said he expected the winless Sharks to provide a big challenge to his side.