SYDNEY: Australian rugby officials confirmed yesterday that stand-in captain Will Genia will be out for six months after surgery for a knee injury suffered in the Rugby Cham­pionship win over the Springboks.

The Wallabies rallied from behind to beat South Africa 26-19 in Perth on Saturday, drawing a line under their humiliating 22-0 drubbing by the All Blacks in the second game of the four-nations Championship.

But victory came at a steep cost, with Genia hobbling from the ground late in the game with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee – the third Australian skipper to be felled by injury this year.

Rugby officials said the injured halfback underwent surgery in Brisbane yesterday and a “full reconstruction was required of the ACL”.

“Today’s procedure went well but Genia will now be sidelined for an estimated six months of rehabilitation before he can return to the field of play,” a team spokesman said.

Genia assumed the captaincy after skipper David Pocock was sidelined for three months by a knee injury suffered in Australia’s opening Rugby Championship game against New Zealand in August.

Pocock was himself standing in for first-choice leader James Horwill, who is recovering from a Super Rugby hamstring injury, sparking claims that the Wallabies captaincy is cursed.

Veteran lock Nathan Sharpe leads Australia onto the park for Saturday’s Test against Argentina. — AFP

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