Luckless Kanaar nobbled by other knee
WARATAHS forward Al Kanaar will miss the start of the Super 14 season after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.
The 24-year-old will spend up to eight weeks on the sidelines after missing all of last season following the reconstruction of his right knee. Scans on Kanaar's left knee revealed some minor cartilage and meniscus damage.
The second-rower was philosophical about his latest setback. "After what I've been through in the past 12 months, it's a minor setback, nothing more," he said.
"I've been training really well and the right knee's feeling great, so it's disappointing the other one's playing up now. But I'll hopefully be right by late February or early March, which puts me right in the frame for round four against the Brumbies."
Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie said it was a blow for Kanaar, labelling him among the team's hardest off-season trainers. "He's in excellent shape, so it's a shame for this to have happened now," McKenzie said. "We had been hoping to see him in the trials but instead we'll shift our focus to getting him right for the Brumbies on March 7."
The team, whose second-last place last season was the worst Super rugby season for the side, returned to training yesterday. Their first trial will be against the Queensland Reds in Campbelltown on Australia Day, and they kick off their Super 14 campaign against the Hurricanes in Sydney on February 16.
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