‘Freak’ occurrences: Marinos defends Wallabies injury toll

Rugby Australia boss Andy Marinos has defended the Wallabies’ injury crisis as a series of “freak” occurrences, but admitted staff had tweaked training loads in response to the high casualty rate.

Marinos also revealed RA would not enter into contract extension talks with coach Dave Rennie until after the spring tour this year.

It comes after Australia fell by a record margin to Argentina on Saturday. It was the Wallabies’ third loss in five Tests this year, a hard come-down from the five-game winning streak during the Rugby Championship last year. Rennie’s win rate sits at a low 40 per cent after 25 Tests in charge, with the Wallabies sixth in the world rankings.

“It’s been a tough and disappointing international series,” Marinos told the Herald. “When you critically look back on it, we’ve created opportunities and failed to execute in the big moments.

“What we have been able to develop is a great strength of depth, which meant that we could field a competitive 23 with 16 guys sitting on the sidelines. That’s a great development from last year.

“I’ve got full confidence in Dave as the right man to lead us to the World Cup. There are tweaks and things they know they need to address, and I’m really confident they’ll [do] that on and off the field - and I’m confident that we’ll get there and be successful.”

Andrew Kellaway and Dave Rennie after the first Test in Perth. He was one of four players to pick up soft tissue injuries during the series or in its lead-up.Credit: Getty

Rennie is contracted until the end of 2023, but Marinos did not rule out offering an extension after an end-of-year review in December.

Meanwhile, Marinos lamented what he called an unprecedented injury toll in Wallabies camp, with 16 of the side’s top players succumbing to injury since the Test season began at the end of June.

Most of the injuries were long-term and hard tissue injuries, such as Tom Banks’ broken arm, a shoulder injury to Scott Sio and a raft of knee tendon ruptures.

But concerns were raised internally and by observers after four players picked up soft tissue injuries during a gruelling training camp before the England series and a further four were ruled out of Tests against Argentina with head knocks during training.

Jed Holloway (calf), Quade Cooper (calf), Andrew Kellaway (hamstring) and Len Ikitau (calf) all suffered soft tissue injuries in the lead-up to or during the first Test of the England series.

Folau Fainga’a (pictured) and Rob Leota were involved in an accidental collision at training last week.Credit: Getty

Dave Porecki, Rob Leota, Folau Fainga’a and Hunter Paisami suffered concussions during training in Argentina, Rennie telling the Herald that Leota and Fainga’a were involved in an accidental clash during a non-contact session.

Marinos backed Rennie but said the team’s medical and athletic performance staff were constantly reviewing training loads. Wet conditions in south-east Queensland, where the Wallabies based themselves, may have contributed to the injuries, Marinos said.

“With the soft tissue stuff, the guys were coming out of Super Rugby seasons and the intensity of training coming into Wallabies camp really picked up,” he said.

Wallabies’ casualty ward

• Tom Banks - broken arm in first England Test 
• Jordan Petaia - concussion in second England Test, returned against Argentina
• Andrew Kellaway - hamstring during training after first England Test, may return against South Africa
• Jed Holloway - calf during training in the lead-up to the England series, returned against Argentina
• Len Ikitau - calf during England series, returned in third England Test
• Quade Cooper - calf in warm-up for first England Test, returned in Argentina then tore Achilles
• Izaia Perese - knee injury during second England Test
• Hunter Paisami - concussion in training in Argentina before second Test
• Cadeyrn Neville - knee in second England Test
• Samu Kerevi - knee in Australian sevens Commonwealth Games campaign 
• Scott Sio - shoulder injury, returning against South Africa
• Angus Bell - toe in third England Test, returning ahead of South Africa Tests
• Harry Johnson-Holmes - ruptured Achilles in training ahead of England series
• Dave Porecki - concussion in training before first Argentina Test, returning for South Africa Tests
• Folau Fainga’a - head clash in training with Rob Leota, returning for South Africa Tests
• Rob Leota - head clash in training with Folau Fainga’a, returning for South Africa Tests
• Ned Hanigan - pre-existing knee aggravated during training before England series 
• Izack Rodda - pre-existing foot 
• Allan Ala’alatoa - bereavement leave 
• Michael Hooper - leave citing ‘mindset’ issues

“We’ve identified it and we’re working with our [strength and conditioning] guys around load management, but for me soft tissue injuries do come around now and then.”

Marinos also said the gruelling pre-series training camp, which took place on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, paid off in the back end of games.

“One thing you’ve seen is that we are a lot fitter and can play at a higher intensity, which is a positive. Bar the weekend’s match, we’ve finished the stronger team in all those Test matches,” he said.

“I think everyone’s acutely aware we have to continue to manage the players through this international window, but I’ve never seen anything like this before, those longer-term ones were all pretty innocuous.”

Notwithstanding a gruelling the England series, the Wallabies do appear victims of misfortune more than anything since the England series.

Tom Banks broke an arm falling badly during the first Test, while Caderyn Neville, Izaia Perese and Samu Kerevi all suffered season-ending knee injuries, with Kerevi’s coming during the Commonwealth Games. Then Cooper ruptured his achilles tendon in the first Test against Argentina.

“We’ve had five frontline players with pretty unusual injuries that are all long term and severe,” Marinos said.

“Banks was a freak break, we had four guys with concussion ... then we’ve had five frontline players with pretty unusual injuries that are all long term and severe.”

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