Kiwi prop out for 1986?

Press, 27 January 1986, Page 25

Kiwi prop out for 1986?

By

JOHN COFFEY

The severe arm injury suffered by the Canterbury prop, Ross Taylor, during New Zealand’s rugby league tour of Britain last year will prevent him from playing any football next season.

Taylor’s left arm was broken in his third appearance for the Kiwis, against St Helens. It is believed that a teammate accidentally caused Taylor’s injury as they simultaneously tackled an opponent That was particularly cruel luck for Taylor. He had impressed against the Cumbria and Yorkshire county teams in his previous games and was Included In the shadow test pack against St Helens.

The Kiwi coach, Graham Lowe, said later in the tour that Taylor would almost certainly have earned his first test cap in the second match against Great Britain at Wigan. Instead, he had to be invalided home and his fellow Cantabrian and replacement, Brent Todd, was to make his test debut when the Kiwis travelled on to France. There was a silver lining to the dark cloud hanging over Taylor’s football fortunes, though.

He arrived back In Christchurch in early November the day after his wife had been admitted to hospital to give birth to their first child. The baby was seven weeks premature, and Taylor was able to lend moral, if not much physical, support Taylor expected to have his arm in plaster for only six weeks, and he spent most of that period making twicedaily trips to hospital while the baby was kept in an incubator. But it was not until last Thursday that Taylor had the plaster removed — and the accompanying diagnosis was not favourable.

“I now have to wait six weeks for a decision on whether I’ll need another operation and a bone graft,” he said yesterday.

“It seems that when the bone was broken a little segment shattered and came out, and that was plated down. The specialist thinks that the good bone has been fighting against the bad bit, and it has not yet started to heal.

“At present I’m not allowed to lift anything heavier than a cup of tea,” said Taylor. Whether more surgery is needed or not, Taylor is resigned to limiting his 1986 rugby league activities to managing the Hornby club’s 19-years team.

“If a bone graft is required, I would hope to have it by the end of March. But that is apparently like rebreaking it, and would lead to another six or eight weeks in plaster. On the other hand, it will probably heal slowly on its own if we leave it long enough,” he said.

Taylor’s hopes of retaining his Kiwi status for the tour to Australia in July have been extinguished and he will also have to delay his plans to have a term with a British club.

“It will be bard to come back at the age of 26 in 1987, especially with young blokes like Janies Goulding around. But if I can get back on the field in future I will — it is a matter of time,” said Taylor.

Time is hanging rather too heavily for Taylor now. Football apart, it will be quite a while before his arm is strong enough for him to resume his employment at Ashley Meats.