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Rugby-Foley ruled out of Super Rugby opener with head knock

Wallabies flyhalf Bernard Foley has been withdrawn from the New South Wales Waratahs side for their Super Rugby opener against Western Force in Sydney on Saturday as he continues his recovery from a pre-season head knock.

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Wallabies flyhalf Bernard Foley has been withdrawn from the New South Wales Waratahs side for their Super Rugby opener against Western Force in Sydney on Saturday as he continues his recovery from a pre-season head knock.

The 27-year-old suffered the injury in the Waratahs' pre-season match against the Otago Highlanders but had initially been named to start the game against the Force.

"Bernard hasn't met our return-to-play protocols so will miss round one," Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson said on Thursday.

"While he has been improving daily since last Thursday's game, he's not 100 percent fit to play and we certainly won't be taking any risks.

"He will be with us in South Africa and we have confidence he'll be ready for round two."

The Waratahs travel to Johannesburg for a week two clash against the Lions, last year's beaten finalists.

Bryce Hegarty will replace Foley for Saturday's match against the Perth-based side, who are giving Wallabies hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau an opportunity to face his former team off the bench.

Polota-Nau had spurned offers from overseas to shift west to the Force after 140 appearances for the Sydney-based Waratahs.

The 31-year-old, who has won 68 Wallabies caps, battled with a broken forearm for much of last season and told local media that he felt he had done the national side a "disservice" for delaying surgery on the injury.

"I believed it was for the right reasons, because the Wallabies is what we strive for," he told AAP. "But in saying that I think it also did a disservice.

"Not being 100 percent fit, that sort of blocked a few potential starting opportunities for the younger blokes."

Polota-Nau had trouble even shaking hands last year but said he was now fit and looking forward to the challenge he faced in keeping James Hanson, Tolu Latu and Queensland Reds youngster Andrew Ready from his Wallabies jersey.

"The standard is becoming higher," he said.

"We can't rest on our haunches. They're just a step away from taking your spot."

 

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

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