Waratahs star Israel Folau sits out team training ahead of Super Rugby clash with Reds

THE Waratahs confirmed they won’t rest players against Queensland but doubts over Israel Folau’s fitness have emerged.

Israel Folau after training by himself at Waratahs Super Rugby training at Moore Park, Sydney. Pic Brett Costello

THE Waratahs confirmed they won’t rest players against Queensland but doubts over Israel Folau’s fitness emerged as the Tahs delayed naming a team due to lingering “bumps and bruises”.

Prop Paddy Ryan was the sole player confirmed as having been ruled out of the Reds’ clash due to a foot injury, but Folau was one of five others who sat out NSW training; along with Kane Douglas, Bernard Foley, Sekope Kepu and Alofa Alofa.

The onlookers were explained away as players being rested up after a physical clash against the Highlanders, but Folau had earlier ran a series of tests with physio staff away from the group — including zigzag running — that hinted at an injury issue.

“We are only at Tuesday, and with the (Highlanders) game being on Sunday, (we have) guys still with bangs and bumps that we’re not totally sure in terms of … being available,” NSW defence coach Nathan Grey said earlier in the day.

“To my knowledge Paddy is definitely out, but everybody else should be available.”

All players are expected to be right to train on Thursday, a NSW spokesman said.

Ryan will be replaced with 130kg rookie prop Mike Alaalatoa, who’ll make his Waratahs debut off the bench.

Grey reconfirmed the comments of Tahs coach Michael Cheika on Sunday that no players would be rested for the Reds clash.

The Waratahs’ unhappy history after securing finals qualification before the last round would counsel against it, with the Tahs having lost two of three last round games in similar circumstances, and then crashed out in the playoffs.

Waratahs winger Rob Horne said there was no particular concern with the result of this weekend affecting NSW’s finals campaign, however.

“Momentum is a pretty fickle thing,” Horne said.

“Even with a game you can have momentum swings, so to think you’re going to hold onto something for a few weeks is a bit naive. How we train and what we do every day affects what we do on the weekend.”

Though the NSW-Reds game has no finals consequence for either team — one is already the minor premier and the other is out of the running — Horne said there were two reasons why the Tahs would not entertain complacency.

“They’re playing at home, at Suncorp, they feel good when they run out there. So that’s a big challenge, and no. 2, it’s a NSW-Queensland game. Form guide goes out the window every year, with that game,” he said.

Originally published as Waratahs star Israel Folau sits out team training ahead of Super Rugby clash with Reds