Castaignede is a warning for top clubs

Chris Jones13 April 2012

Thomas Castaignede's rugby future is in the hands of a French surgeon who will attempt to repair the Saracens full-back's Achilles tendon today.

Castaignede was carried from the Stade de France pitch in Paris on Saturday after the tendon ruptured in the warm-up before France's Test against Australia.

A medical test last Wednesday had shown some inflammation of the tendon yet Castaignede trained normally on Friday.

The surgeon who will operate at La Salpetriere hospital in Paris is Professor Gerard Saillant and Castaignede is expected to be out of the game for six months.

That is a massive blow for Saracens, whose chief executive officer Francois Pienaar said: "Thomas is very upset and we will be keeping in close contact during his rehabilitation because we have a very good medical team at the club."

Castaignede's six-figure salary will now be paid by the French Federation as he was injured on international duty and that opens the way for Sarries to sign a back-up.

However, Pienaar insists that, for now, they will look to their existing squad with 19-year-old Kenyan born Gerald Arasa the man earmarked to wear the Sarries No 15 jersey next weekend.

Pienaar believes what happened to Castaignede should serve as a warning to other leading clubs as the pressure on players produces a number of serious injuries.

He said: "Everybody wants their pound of flesh and it all comes back to the structure of the season. We pay the wage bills but we are not allowed to call the tune and you cannot go on treating your major assets like this."

Besides losing Castaignede, Sarries centre Kevin Sorrell and utility back Brett Sparg, the natural stand-in for the French star, need operations to sort out cheekbone injuries.

Castaignede was struck down just hours after Saracens' Australian centre Tim Horan had proved his fitness after four months battling to overcome a foot problem.

Debutant Horan was among the tryscorers in the 54-24 Tetley's Bitter Cup win at Bedford which secured Saracens' last-16 place in the against Worcester at Vicarage Road next weekend.

The Tetley's Bitter Cup fifth round draw included: Saracens v Worcester, Harlequins v Manchester, London Welsh v London Irish.

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