Former England fly half Freddie Burns has declared himself "lucky" despite breaking his leg in Friday's Super Rugby clash between the Highlanders and the Chiefs.
It was the hosts who ran out 28-7 winners in Waikato, but for Burns and co, the defeat was overshadowed by a collision in which the 32-year-old's foot completely bent unnaturally. He was duly carried off the field, less than a month after joining the New Zealand outfit from Leicester Tigers.
And he later took to social media to tell fans the extent of the damage. Rather than be downbeat though, Burns has vowed to "recover well" return to the field as soon as possible.
"Gutted to be facing a bit of time on the sideline with an anterior tibial plateau fracture but these things happen in rugby," he wrote on Instagram. "Count myself pretty lucky after watching the footage back. Just got to recover well, attack the rehab and with a bit of luck be running around again by the end of April!"
Regardless, it is almost certainly a season ending injury for Burns, who joined on the back of providing Leicester's golden moment last year, nailing a 79th minute drop goal to seal glory in their 2022 Gallagher Premiership final against Saracens. It was his second stint with the Tigers, having also played for Gloucester, Bath, and Toyota Industries in Japan.
He also won five England caps and amassed 57 points for his country, but found opportunities limited by the presence of George Ford and Owen Farrell. Upon joining Super Rugby, he spoke about the fulfilment of a long-time ambition.
And following his post, well wishes have come in from fellow stars, with ex-England full back Mike Brown posting: "Hope the recovery goes well and you’re back asap." Former Leicester teammate Jimmy Gopperth added: "Recover well mate."
Another Tiger in Ben Youngs said: "You’ll be back buddy gutted for you," and fan Mike Cooper joked: "Put your feet up and focus on your social media game, Fred! Best of luck with the recovery."
It was a third straight defeat of the season for the Highlanders, leaving them rock bottom of the table. The Chiefs meanwhile, have briefly gone top ahead of more scheduled Super Rugby matches this weekend.
