Wallabies receive welcome injury news as star lock confident of facing England

Wallabies lock Izack Rodda is confident he will be out of his moon boot and ready to roll for the three-test series against England, starting in Perth on July 2.

Rodda was troubled by pain in his right foot during the tail-end of the Super Rugby Pacific season and he feared a repeat of the stress fracture he suffered in 2019.

But scans have cleared him of serious damage and Rodda hopes to get out of the moon boot by next week.

Aotearoa Rugby Pod | Episode 16

Aotearoa Rugby Pod | Episode 16

“I was a little bit nervous it was going to be another stress fracture, but it’s not,” Rodda said.

“I’ll be fine. I’ve just got a bit of bone bruising.

“I had it for the last few rounds of the season. I just started noticing a bit of pain and my ankle range was going down.

“It was a bit nerve-racking at the start (when I noticed it), but it wasn’t too painful. So I was confident it wasn’t bad.

“And then the scans cleared it up, it’s just a little bit of bone bruising which was great to hear.

“I’m just de-loading it this week and hopefully get out of it early next week.”

England have won eight straight tests against the Wallabies and Rodda is keen to turn the tables when the sides meet at Optus Stadium next month.

“We haven’t beaten England since 2015 World Cup. It’s been a few years,” Rodda said.

“We want to get some momentum moving into the World Cup, so you’ve got to start it now.

“We want to beat the best teams and they’re one of the best teams.”

Meanwhile, Western Force captain Feleti Kaitu’u has welcomed the arrival of former Brumbies hooker Folau Fainga’a despite the pair vying for the same position.

Fainga’a’s departure from the Brumbies was announced on Wednesday and he will join the Force.

“Personally for me it will really help my game I feel,” Kaitu’u said.

“There’s only one spot there for the taking in terms of that starting jersey and we both want it.

“It just comes down to us both putting our best foot forward.

“He’s a great player. He’s got a lot of experience and I’m sure he’ll add a great deal to the team, and I’m sure I can learn a lot from him as well.”

Kaitu’u was plagued by niggling injuries during the Super season, but he’s confident of being fit for the three-test series against England.

“Mate, I’ve got bloody Tongan legs and they just seem to struggle a bit from time to time,” he said with a smile.