Quade Cooper looks set to be sidelined for up to six months after limping out of Friday’s World Cup bronze medal game.
Australia defeated Wales 21-18 to take third place, but lost Cooper 22 minutes into the encounter at Eden Park. The 23-year-old out-half ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, and it does not look good for a player whose tournament has not been the glowing success story that many observers had predicted it might be.
The Aussies also lost full back Kurtley Beale in the first half. Just days after missing the semi-final defeat to New Zealand Beale suffered a hamstring blow, leaving Wallabies captain James Horwill to count the costs of the Friday victory.
"Losing Quade and Kurtley wasn't ideal but the boys adapted really well," Horwill said of the game.
"We knew Wales would make us work. We got off to a good start but they made us work in defence, but it was a good effort by the boys."
Team-mate Will Genia backed Cooper to bounce back from his latest setback and his disappointing World Cup, adding: "In terms of his character, he showed a lot of guts and a lot of character. He'll be much better for it.
"Obviously the way he finished with that injury is disappointing, but he'll come away a better person."
Meanwhile, Wallabies coach Robbie Deans gave an honest evaluation of his side’s tournament, admitting that finishing third behind Sunday’s finalists the All Blacks and France has just not been good enough.
Deans said: "We came to the tournament to win obviously but we weren't good enough by some distance against New Zealand.
"It's not easy, the blokes were pretty disappointed. The third-place play-off is not the match of their preference.
"But it's still an opportunity to represent your country and you saw tonight from both sides the pride they have in that."