The Rugby Championship
McCabe injury blow for Wallabies
ESPN Staff
August 1, 2012
Australia's Pat McCabe handles the ball, Wallabies training session, Coogee Oval, Sydney, Australia, August 19, 2010
Centre Pat McCabe will be sidelined for up to six weeks with a leg injury © Getty Images
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Australia have suffered a big blow on the eve of their Rugby Championship campaign with the news that centre Pat McCabe will be sidelined for up to six weeks with a stress fracture to his lower left leg.

The injury was confirmed by scans in Sydney on Wednesday and will see the 24-year-old miss two Tests against New Zealand, as well as matches against South Africa and Argentina.

There are no immediate plans to replace McCabe who started all three of the recent Tests with Wales and the player himself was understandably disappointed with the diagnosis. ''[Playing for the Wallabies] was obviously something I was really looking forward to and training hard for, so it's disappointing, but I guess [I'll] just come back bigger and better and look after it in the time being,'' McCabe told The Canberra Times.

'I think it's just an overuse [injury], it's been niggling me for a while, got it scanned today and it wasn't good news,'' he said. "'It's just been niggling me and I've just been pushing through it.''

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans will have several options available to him when it comes to filling the inside centre berth including Anthony Faingaa, Mike Harris, Ben Tapuai and Adam Ashley-Cooper. Deans could also move Berrick Barnes from fly-half to the No.12 shirt and recall Quade Cooper to the playmaking role.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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