Toulouse hit with Donguy injury blow

TOULOUSE have lost the services of one of their major strike forces, wing Yves Donguy, ahead of their Heineken Cup quarter-final with Stade Francais.

The 28-year-old tore the cruciate ligaments in his right knee at the end of last weekend’s 26-10 Top 14 defeat against Biarritz. Donguy is set to undergo surgery this week and won’t be able to play for the rest of the season.

“It’s another real blow for our team. We are aware it takes one year to go back to a first-rate level after such an injury,” said coach Guy Noves.

Victory at Estadio Anoeta, in San Sebastien, kept alive Biarritz’s hopes of qualifying for the Heineken Cup next season with a top six finish in the championship. It also put them in great heart for their Heineken Cup quarter-final showdown with crack Welsh outfit Ospreys.

Ospreys director of coaching, Scott Johnson, was at the ground to spy on his side’s quarter-final rivals and would have been impressed by what he saw – especially as his own team was losing in Newport to the Dragons in the Magners League.

Meanwhile Leicester centre Aaron Mauger has announced his retirement from rugby due to a back injury.

The former New Zealand three-quarter, who won 45 caps for his country, has been persistently troubled by the injury and made just 13 first-team appearances this season.