As if being part of a Ranfurly Shield-winning Otago side wasn’t enough, Jona Nareki added to his legend after playing part of the win over Waikato with a “smashed testicle”.
Nareki had surgery on the injury yesterday morning, Otago coach Ben Herring told RadioLive yesterday after the 23-16 win on Saturday in Hamilton.
He was forced from the field by the injury in the 59th minute, but when Mitchell Scott hobbled off late in the game, the winger had to go back on the field.
"It was just a direct blow on the bulls-eye, I don't know who it was and he probably doesn't either," Herring said.
"If you know Jona, he's a particularly buoyant fella, but the comment was, 'don't worry mate, it's just a small operation'".
Late in the second half and up 23-19, Otago repeatedly turned away Waikato as they searched for the match-winning try.
The win was Otago’s second Shield triumph in the past 61 years.
They won the Shield in 2013, also in Hamilton, before suffering Shield defeats in 2014 and 2017.
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