Payne undergoes surgery on Achilles

Ulster’s versatile backline signing Jared Payne flew to England with physio Gareth Robinson yesterday to have an operation on his ruptured Achilles tendon.

The 26-year-old Kiwi was forced to come off in some distress during Ulster’s 12-23 loss to Treviso after damaging the tendon.

Having made his debut for Ulster in their 20-3 RaboDirect PRO 12 victory over the Blues on September 16, he has only featured in three competitive games for the province.

An update on UlsterRugby.com states that yesterday’s operation went well which will be some relief to Brian McLaughlin after a club statement two weeks ago revealed that Payne is expected to be sidelined for “a considerable period of months.”

The injury will be reassessed in two weeks after it has been allowed time to heal, at which point the club are hopeful of ascertaining a clearer picture of how long the rehabilitation process will take.