The injury-ravaged Queensland Reds have called Sam Lane, the South Africa-schooled son of former Wallabies centre Tim Lane, into their squad for Saturday night's Super Rugby clash with the Western Force.
Sydney-based Lane has been given a release from the ARU's national academy squad to sign a short-term contract by the Reds following a litany of injuries to their inside backs.
The 21-year-old fly half, who trialled with South Africa's under-20 squad last year before rupturing knee ligaments, is well and truly in the mix to make his Super Rugby debut in Perth.
Queensland is missing five potential playmakers with Mike Harris (hamstring), Ben Lucas (hamstring) and Jono Lance (broken leg) joining Quade Cooper (knee) and UJ Seuteni (hamstring) on the sidelines following a disastrous two-match tour of South Africa.
Lance will be out of action for at least three months due to his lower-leg fracture in the 61-8 loss to the Bulls in Pretoria and Lane will be a fixture of the Reds squad until he returns.
Tim Lane was a Queensland and Wallabies back in the 1980s but also made his name as an assistant coach to Rod Macqueen when the Wallabies won the 1999 World Cup.
Lane's coaching career took him to South Africa in the past decade and his son was a schoolboy star in Cape Town and played for Western Province in last year's Vodacom Cup.
Sam returned to Australia late last year to take a place in the national academy and play under his father at Sydney club Manly.
The Reds have also lost hooker Saia Faingaa (ankle) in the carnage of the weekend's 58-point hammering by the Bulls.
AAP
Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, brisbane-4000, qld, australia First posted March 26, 2012 16:51:28
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