Wounded Williams should be sweet - surgeon

KEVIN STENT/Sunday Star Times

INJURY RUN: Ali Williams, pictured after injuring his achilles tendon in last year's Super 14, will miss this year's tournament with a new injury to the same tendon.

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Don't believe the scuttlebutt. Ali Williams has an "excellent" chance of making a full recovery from his second Achilles tendon problem in as many years – and that's from the bloke at the blunt end of the scalpel.

The surgeon who has performed two Achilles tendon operations on the Blues and All Blacks lock has told the Sunday Star-Times he expects Williams to make it back on the rugby field with "minimal or no restriction".

Of course there are no certainties following surgery as major as that Williams undertook last Monday after he tore the Achilles tendon off the bone early in his first pre-season match for the Blues against the Chiefs at Albany. And a more accurate prognosis will not be made for another six months.

But the surgeon, who did not want to be named, said despite the freakish nature of Williams' second Achilles injury in two years, there was no reason not to expect him to make a full recovery similar to All Blacks team-mate Dan Carter.

Williams' surgeon dismisses suggestions the 28-year-old's rugby career is over. In fact, he sees no reason why he can't come back and add to the 61 test caps he's already earned with the All Blacks. It just won't be for a while.

The surgeon stressed Williams' second surgery was in a different part of the tendon to the rupture he suffered last year and that when they went in last Monday they discovered some "structural problems" where the tendon attached to the bone. In other words, it was probably always going to happen, and better sooner rather than later.

"Those structural problems were able to be addressed, the tendon where it was attached to the bone was cleaned up and reattached, and it's likely that it will heal back and do very well," said the surgeon.

"If he was going to have an injury, this was probably the best sort he could have to that area. Hopefully now we've dealt with the trouble that caused the irritation. He had a bony spur and an inflamed bursa and it's likely he'll get an excellent result which will allow him play rugby with minimal or no restriction."

Williams' surgeon described his patient as "a resilient bugger" and ready to undertake another long rehabilitation. Healing the surgical wound was the first priority, then once it had been ascertained the tendon itself had repaired the hard work would kick in.

Blues doctor Stephen Kara felt a "glass half full" view needed to be taken. "You could say it was always going happen, and it's good it happened earlier rather in four or five months' time which would make him a high risk of missing the World Cup."

Dr Kara and the team physio had conducted a full review of their handling of Williams and were confident they had not erred in allowing him back on the field.

"He's determined, and he's actually upbeat and positive about what gone on," added Dr Kara. "He's now setting his goals about what he needs to do to get back and that's where his focus is."

- © Fairfax NZ News