Sawt Falasteen - Hammer blow for La Rochelle as Kerr-Barlow ruled out of Euro final

NYSE - LSE
RBGPF 0% 76.02 $
BCC -2.36% 67.92 $
RIO -2.03% 83.28 $
BTI -0.02% 61.04 $
CMSC -1.54% 19.5 $
NGG 0.41% 83.6 $
BCE -0.75% 21.35 $
GSK 0.08% 50.64 $
JRI -1.3% 11.56 $
AZN -0.6% 184.38 $
RELX -0.15% 40.04 $
CMSD -2.15% 19.51 $
RYCEF 3.73% 17.98 $
BP 1.22% 45.82 $
VOD -0.97% 15.49 $
Hammer blow for La Rochelle as Kerr-Barlow ruled out of Euro final
Hammer blow for La Rochelle as Kerr-Barlow ruled out of Euro final / Photo: FRANCOIS LO PRESTI - AFP/File

Hammer blow for La Rochelle as Kerr-Barlow ruled out of Euro final

La Rochelle suffered a hammerblow Tuesday with news that key scrum-half Tawera Kerr-Barlow will miss the European Champions Cup final against Leinster on May 28 with a hand injury.

Text size:

"The hand is broken, it'll take six weeks to fix," the former All Black, capped 28 times, told AFP.

"It's a shame, it's bad timing but that's the life of a rugby player.

"If we get to the final of the Top 14 (on June 24), I might be available."

Kerr-Barlow, 31, was replaced in the 53rd minute of La Rochelle's 20-13 semi-final win over Racing 92.

The absence of the 2015 Rugby World Cup winner, who has been at La Rochelle since 2017, will offer up a window of opportunity for either Arthur Retiere, who came on the semi-final, or Thomas Berjon.

Another casualty from the semi-final held in the northern French city of Lens was Racing's Scotland fly-half Finn Russell.

The Scot sustained a twisted knee and will be out for two weeks, with Racing still also in the running to make the Top 14 play-offs.

Q.Jaber--SF-PST