Super Rugby
All Blacks doctor plays down McCaw injury
ESPNscrum Staff
June 7, 2011
The Crusaders' Richie McCaw looks for support, Chiefs v Crusaders, Super Rugby, Baypark Stadium, Tauranga, New Zealand, April 15, 2011
Richie McCaw faces two to three weeks on the sidelines © Getty Images
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All Blacks doctor Deb Robinson has played down concerns over the fitness of Crusaders flanker Richie McCaw, who is set to miss this weekend's Super Rugby clash with the Blues due to a foot problem.

The All Blacks skipper has sat out a large chunk of the season after having a screw inserted into a broken metatarsal, with bone irritation now set to sideline him for a further two to three weeks.

With the Rugby World Cup now less than 100 days away, the New Zealand management are on alert for any possible injury problems to top players, but Robinson insists that McCaw's latest setback is not a long-term one.

"He has got some pain in his foot in a different place at the bottom of one of the screws in there," she told The New Zealand Herald. "Scans show there is lots of activity and healing but in one area, the bone looks thin.

"We think some discretion here is the sensible thing and Richie will benefit from two or three weeks less load through it. It is not an 'oh my goodness' scenario. It is related but the pain is in a different part of the foot.

"There is nothing sinister in this, the time is right to do it [rest] now. Richie could have boxed on but he mentioned it did not feel quite right so we went from there."

McCaw has been advised to concentrate on swimming, cycling and rowing as part of his recovery, with Matt Todd set to start at openside against the Blues.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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