/ 4 March 1999

WARATAHS LOSE PRIZE BACKS

WALLABY fullback Matthew Burke ruled himself out of rugby on Wednesday for another six weeks. This leaves New South Wales without two senior Test backs for possibly the rest of the Super 12 tournament. Burke had shoulder reconstruction surgery after he was injured while scoring a try in Australia’s Bledisloe Cup Test win over New Zealand last August. While the Waratahs were resigned to losing him for much of the Super 12, they suffered another shattering blow last weekend when centre Jason Little broke his collar bone playing against the Sharks in Durban. A Brisbane specialist said it would take eight to 10 weeks before Little could play.