Tahs’ pain

Locked in a battle to make the top division with their Wagga rivals before the competition splits in half this weekend, coach Will Mitchell will need to reshuffle his back line after losing two key men.

Waratahs will be without halfback Adam McPherson and winger Richie Lamont for at least the next month.

Both were injured in the 43-19 win over Wagga City on Saturday, however McPherson’s ankle injury is worse than first feared.

After first going down around the 10 minute mark, McPherson didn’t think too much of his injury and played on, before realising it was a little more serious.

Coming off just after half-time believing he’d just bruised his ankle, x-rays later confirmed an unusual fracture to his ankle.

Making it back into first grade this season, the timing couldn’t be worse for the 25-year-old or his team.

“It’s only a small fracture so it shouldn’t be too bad hopefully,” McPherson said.

“It’s a bit disappointing but I’m hoping it’s only four weeks and should be able to get back up there (to first grade).”

A second grade premiership player in 2011, McPherson returned to Waratahs last season, but struggled to make it into the team last season, before finding his feet there in Mitchell’s first year in charge.

Lamont is also expected to miss the next four with a shoulder injury, however that could be extended if further tests reveal a hairline fracture.

Just coming back from a hamstring issue, it’s been confirmed Lamont damaged two ligaments in his shoulder when scoring a try on Saturday, with the possible fracture still unclear.

With the losses Euan Bonner will move back into halfback and Steve Tracey into five-eighth but Mitchell is still trying to sort of the rest of the back line.

Guy McAlister will come back into the starting team, however in what role is yet to be determined.

“I’m not too sure what we will do there,” Mitchell said.