Share

Baby dash for Mathewson

Christchurch - New Zealand's final preparations for their Tri-Nations clash with Australia were mildly upset on Friday when replacement scrumhalf Alby Mathewson left to attend the birth of his first child.

An All Blacks' spokesperson told reporters ahead of the team's final training session at Lancaster Park that Mathewson had left the squad to fly to Wellington where his partner Cara had gone into labour.

"He'll be flying back first thing in the morning (on Saturday)," added the spokesperson.

Coincidentally Mathewson was drafted into the All Blacks' squad ahead of last week's match in Melbourne to cover for Piri Weepu, who had stayed behind in New Zealand while his partner gave birth to their first child.

Weepu rejoined the side in Melbourne after the birth of his daughter and came off the bench to replace Jimmy Cowan, who suffered a rib injury in the 49-28 victory and was ruled out of this Saturday's clash.

Weepu will start the match with the uncapped Mathewson, who had an outstanding Super 14 season for the Blues and was considered unlucky not to be named in the original All Blacks squad earlier this year, on the bench.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
67% - 693 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
33% - 349 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE