“You look at the weekend, it was 200-and-something tackles, we ‘D-ed’ up, and they’re huge bodies Fiji, so you have some sore bodies. That takes its toll, if you are doing it week in, week in, week in and blokes are on the field for an extended period of time. That just takes a big toll.
“They [the rested players] will stay training and get a good flogging on Saturday, but just not the contact loading, which gives them time to rehabilitate, or regenerate and re-energise, and they come in for the last round.”
Western Force’s Tom Robertson and head coach Simon Cron during the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season launch this month.Credit: Getty Images
Robertson was given the news no footballer wants to hear in a Rugby World Cup year when scans confirmed an ACL tear in his left knee, suffered during the Force’s win over the Brumbies at the weekend.
The 28-year-old from Dubbo, who has 24 Test caps, was on track for World Cup selection after hitting good form for the Force this season and winning selection in Eddie Jones’ first Wallabies camp in April.
“The timing is really bad; he was playing some of his best rugby,” Force coach Simon Cron said.
“We love him. He’s a great man. He covers loosehead and tighthead. It’s a big loss. But he’s pretty strong, and he’ll get through it.”
Cron said he backed Robertson to fulfil his dream of playing for the Wallabies in the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
“We’ve talked previously, before his injury, and he was already talking about the next home World Cup. He’s got that in his sights,” Cron said.
“He’s a smart human and a tough guy, so he’ll get through it.”
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It was a day of mixed news for the Force, with Wallabies lock Izack Rodda named to make his return from a foot injury. Rodda missed the international winter after foot surgery last year, and re-injured the foot in a trial against the Fijian Drua in February.
It was the same foot on which Rodda needed surgery last year, with the injury ruling him out of the Wallabies’ 2022 international season.
“It’s been a year since his last [official] game. He’s been working hard in the background to get himself back into shape,” Cron said.