Pooler hit by new injury crisis (From Free Press Series)

Pooler hit by new injury crisis

12:20pm Wednesday 7th October 2009

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CRISIS club Pontypool were meeting last night to re-evaluate their aspirations.

In an eerie repeat of last season, Pooler have been hit by a plague of injuries and are facing a fight for survival.

Impressive new signing Steve Taylor joined Jack Lydiate, Matthew Thomas, Leighton Jones, Geraint Morris and Tom Morgan in a cramped treatment room on Saturday. He was released from hospital on Sunday but is due an operation to patch up his bloody facial injuries next week and could be out for months.

With just one bonus point from six defeats, the club is set to give up on a planned assault on the top half of the Premiership, looking simply to repeat last year’s miraculous survival bid.

Dejected after the weekend defeat to Cardiff, head coach Gareth Lintern said: "It’s just as bad as last year.

"Steve has probably been one of our best performers and has really led from the front. But he’s gone now for a while and we have to make do."

Pooler will have to "make do" without Lydiate, who has not trained all season since his horror injury last term; Thomas, who is due an operation on his knee ligament damage and will be out for the whole season; skipper Jones, still suffering with his neck injury; Morris, awaiting two broken ribs to heal before a timeframe can be out on his recovery; and Morgan, who will be out for "some considerable time" with a shoulder injury.

Only stalwart Cae Trayhern is due to return for this week’s game with Bedwas after recovering from his stomach problem.

Lintern accepted: "The Premiership is a physical arena and with this many injuries we’ll have to re-evaluate our goals.

"We’re looking at plugging some of those gaps and have been speaking with players released by other clubs who have perhaps not played as much rugby as they hoped due to regional players being drafted in.

"But we know we have to look within ourselves. No-one else is going to get us out of this."

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