20 Oct 2009

Mortlock beset by more injury woe

6:53 pm on 20 October 2009

A torn calf muscle has forced Stirling Mortlock out of Australia's first two rugby tests of their northern hemisphere tour starting next week.

Mortlock will miss the match against New Zealand in Tokyo on Saturday week and the match against England at Twickenham a week later.

Mortlock suffered the injury at training today.

Mortlock, who was recently stripped of the test captaincy, says he'll remain in Australian for treatment before joining the squad in Dublin for the test against Ireland.

Mortlock, who's 32, missed Australia's last four matches of the Tri-Nations with a knee injury but was recalled for the northern hemisphere tour despite losing the captaincy to Rocky Elsom.