Makos short a hooker

FAIRFAX

INJURED: Hooker Quentin MacDonald is out for the season as a result of a serious knee injury.

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The Tasman Makos have suffered a significant loss ahead of this year's Air New Zealand Cup rugby campaign after hooker Quentin MacDonald ruptured an anterior cruciate knee ligament on Saturday.

MacDonald was injured while playing for the Crusaders development team against their Blues counterparts in Christchurch and has been ruled out for the rest of the Super 14. He will have surgery within the next few weeks and may take six to nine months to recover.

With Tasman's other experienced hooking option Dan Perrin headed for Bay of Plenty, MacDonald's injury represents a significant loss to coach Kieran Keane's 2010 Makos squad.

However, Tasman's star hooker was still trying to show a brave face, despite his obvious disappointment.

"I've got a few days to get over it, so I'm just looking at the positives now, but I'm pretty gutted," he said yesterday from Christchurch.

He said the injury occurred late in Saturday's game and in unusual circumstances.

"I went to sidestep and it kind of just popped. It was a fair way into the game too. I guess it was just one of those things that was going to happen, so it's just unfortunate. I think I must have over-extended [the knee] when I was stepping. It was just before contact and I kind of stepped and got tackled, but I don't think it was the tackle that did it. I'm pretty sure I did it before."

He said he was resigned to missing most, if not all, of the Makos' Air New Zealand Cup season.

"Yeah, it doesn't look too promising. I was looking forward to this year because it was going to be a big season for me. I've just got to look at the positives I guess – I guess I'll get a bit more time to work on my beach muscles and stuff.

"But no, I'm really gutted, especially not being able to play with the [Makos] boys, because that's one of the things I was looking forward to – coming back and playing for the Makos. I'll miss that opportunity unfortunately.

"Hopefully I'm a quick healer and I come back towards the end of the year. I'm trying to aim for about October – that's probably the most realistic scenario."

Makos coach Keane said it was devastating for the dynamic young rake who was just starting to make his mark on the national scene.

"I think it's a tragedy for the young guy, but these things happen and that's the nature of the game," he said.

"We just have to manage it as best we can. It's not career-ending or anything like that, so we're going to look on the positive side, work hard with Q to rehabilitate and get him back on the field in the best possible nick really.

"He's probably gone for the season and we're planning for that, but obviously we want to work closely with him. Essentially it's a matter of doing everything that the medics say that we have to do and looking after the guy, probably mentally as well."

Keane said he would now have to explore other options.

"We'll look around. There are footballers everywhere and there are footballers locally who might step up to the plate, so we'll be looking both inside and outside [the province]."

Tasman chief executive Peter Barr agreed there was still plenty to consider before naming a replacement.

"We haven't talked about replacements at this stage," he said.

"Obviously it's hugely disappointing, because we've lost Daniel Perrin of course. So we'll just have to give it some time, think it through and decide what we need to do."

Possible local replacement candidates include MacDonald's younger brother, Jesse, who sat on the Makos' bench for last year's game against Waikato in Blenheim, and Stoke and Nelson Bays hooker Troy Liddell.

- © Fairfax NZ News