The Australian Men’s Sevens team have been dealt a major blow ahead of their quarterfinal clash with France, with captain Henry Hutchison “unlikely” to return.
Head Coach John Manenti believes Hutchison is “unlikely” to return to the hallowed turf of Allianz Stadium this weekend after he was helped from the field against Argentina.
Hutchison left the field early in the second-half with what appeared to be a leg injury, and Manenti later suggested that it was his knee – which was already taped up.
While Manenti said that he doesn’t know for sure how significant the injury is, the champion coach did say that Hutchison “looked pretty sore.”
“I don’t know, it’s his knee. I don’t know but he looked pretty sore,” Manenti told reporters.
“Unlikely for the rest of the weekend I would think. He’s a pretty tough bloke, at half-time he said it was bothering him but he wanted to go on and then he went one play and basically went down.”
The 2015/16 World Series Rookie of the Year quickly became a core part of the Australian Men’s Sevens program, and his absence will leave a big void in the heart of that team.
But there’s an opportunity for another player to stand up.