Will Genia rules himself out of first Bledisloe Test against All Blacks to ensure ankle mends properly

WILL Genia has overruled his zeal to rewrite comeback dates and scratched himself from next month’s first showdown against the All Blacks.

Will Genia at Ballymore . Pic Annette Dew

WILL Genia has overruled his zeal to rewrite comeback dates and reluctantly scratched himself from next month’s first showdown against the All Blacks.

Genia’s right ankle is mending steadily after surgery a month ago yet the champion halfback says he can’t push it faster that he is.

Not being involved in the August 16 clash against the All Blacks in Sydney will cut deep because Bledisloe Cup success is one of his major ambitions.

Genia was overlooked for Nic White and Nick Phipps in the June Tests against France but his class is in the frame for a bench-spark comeback during the six Tests of The Rugby Championship.

“I just want to play but I have to be 100 per cent right and that first one against the All Blacks will be a week early,” Genia said.

“The time off has allowed me to see that my body needed a rest.

Wearing a moon boot on his right foot, Will Genia engages in some boxing training at Ballymore.

“You push to get back early but I have to be sensible because there was more bone and ligament damage in the ankle that anyone expected.”

Genia suffered with every injured Reds player and disappointed fans when a 34-3 tumble to NSW ended a poor Super Rugby campaign last weekend.

Sources yesterday indicated that red-haired flanker Ed Quirk is the eighth Reds player on the move with the Western Force his likely destination.

With so much speculation around the priority hunt for a big, ball-running backrower, the backrowers the Reds do have must be wondering where they fit.

Mid-season, both No.8 Jake Schatz and flanker Quirk seemed certain to be retained.

Schatz has locked up a deal it appears.

Over the past five seasons their games have morphed into very similar styles with industrious workrates, adept lineout work, mobility and sound tackling.

Unfortunately, neither has taken the leap as a line-busting runner, in close or out wide, which is one big deficiency the Reds must fix.

Will Genia gets a pass away at Wallabies training in June during the three-Test series against France.

Genia is adamant the Reds can be a big factor in Super Rugby again next season and Richard Graham is the coach for the job.

“It’s one ordinary season after four strong ones, not back-to-back,” Genia said.

“(NSW coach) Michael Cheika copped a lot of flak early last year when he was making changes and there were a lot of mistakes and inconsistency with the Waratahs.

“Look where they are now?

“We had a whole new coaching structure this year, a new playing pattern and changes of our own.

“Next year is the real test. There’ll be a group of fit, fresh and very hungry guys hitting next season and I’ll be one of them.”

Flyhalf Ben Lucas (knee) and prop Ben Daley (dislocated shoulder) went for scans on Monday to determine the extent of their injuries.

At his best, Quirk, 22, made the telling run that beat NSW at Suncorp Stadium last year and was all constructive fire after being punched by Stephen Moore against the Brumbies this year.

Originally published as Will Genia rules himself out of first Bledisloe Test against All Blacks to ensure ankle mends properly