Palu out for rest of Super 14 season

NSW Waratahs have lost No.8 Wycliff Palu to a season-ending knee injury and are
sweating on the availability of fellow Wallabies forwards Benn Robinson and Tatafu
Polota-Nau for their crucial Super 14 rugby clash with the Brumbies on Saturday
week.
Scans on Monday confirmed Palu will require knee reconstruction after rupturing his
right anterior cruciate ligament in last Saturday's match against the Crusaders in
Christchurch.
He will miss Australia's home and Tri-Nations Tests and he may struggle to be fit in
time for the traditional end of year tour.
Prop Robinson has a small fracture in his right forearm, while hooker Polota-Nau
incurred ligament damage in his right shoulder.
Coach Chris Hickey admitted the Waratahs wouldn't be able to directly replace Palu,
who was voted the organisation's Players' Player for the past two years.
Hickey is likely to move Ben Mowen from blindside flanker to No.8 and restore Dave
Dennis to the former position.
He stressed no single player would be expected to pick up the slack left by the
primary ball-carrying forward.
"The go forward he gives us is second to none, you simply can't bring someone else
in and ask for them to do the job of Cliff," Hickey said.
"It's a up to a number of other players to lift five to 10 per cent, which we know
they can do and will have to do."
Hickey admitted both Robinson and Polota-Nau would not have played this week if the
Waratahs had not had the bye.
"It's going to be a bit of a waiting game with both Robbo and Tatafu," Hickey said.
"They both have fairly significant injuries and if we didn't have the bye this week
they definitely wouldn't be available."
Both frontrowers face a battle to be fit for the April 24 ANZ Stadium clash with the
Brumbies, who will overtake the third-placed Waratahs if they win their home game
against the Hurricanes this Friday.
Youngster Damien Fitzpatrick has been backing up Polota-Nau off the bench and could
be in line to start against Brumbies.
However, Polota-Nau is renowned for his resilience and has missed only two Super
games in four and a half seasons.
The Waratahs could also have extra depth at hooker with Wallabies rake Adam Freier
back from injury and expected to play for his club side this weekend.
If Robinson is ruled out of the Brumbies game, his replacement is likely to be
another Test prop, Sekope Kepu.
Hickey received one piece of good fitness news, with five-eighth Daniel Halangahu
expected to be fit for the Brumbies match after being diagnosed with a grade one
strain of his right medial ligament.