Blues suffer injury blow number three
Broken arm rules out top try scorer for the season
NEWBURY BLUES have been robbed of top try scorer Toby Thorne for the rest of the season after he broke his right arm during last Saturday's 26-22 defeat at Cleve.
Thorne was challenging in the air when he fell awkwardly, and play was halted for 35 minutes while an ambulance arrived to ferry him to hospital.
The winger underwent an operation on Tues to pin and plate the limb and Blues head coach Lee Goodall said: "The operation was a success, but that’s the end of his season.
"But it was a good, clean break with a bit of a spiral in it, but once he gets a lot of physio he should be fine to come back, but that will be next season.”
It is the third major injury blow to hit Blues in recent weeks. Rory Jones was stretchered off during last month's home win over Hornets, and in the recent victory over Maidenhead, flanker Finn Walsh suffered a ruptured bowel with both players requiring operations.
“That’s three in a row and we hope that’s it,” said Goodall.
Blues entertain Brixham on Saturday, a side that propped up the table until a run of three successive wins posted them just one place beneath Blues on the South West Premier League table.
"They will probably fancy their chances against us,” said Goodall, “but if we can play as we did against Maidenhead and for spells at Cleve, then we can take the points towards our Christmas target of 32.”
Toby Pearce broke his nose in that defeat at Cleve but is expected to play, and Blues also have Josh Bartlett, Jamie Futcher, Kyle Doel and Alex Millar back in their squad.
Monks Lane also stages rare Friday night action when Newbury’s A team take on their Thatcham counterparts with a 7.30pm kick-off.