Pertemps
Bees' Canadian international prop Casey Dunning has been given the perfect incentive
to recover from a broken ankle - a possible World Cup clash with his elder brother
Matt.Dunning is currently recovering from the ankle injury which he sustained in the dying minutes of the National One game against Sedgley Park before Christmas. But he hopes to be back playing again within a month which will give him time to reclaim his place in the Canadian squad for this summer's Churchill Cup tournament which will be staged in England for the first time.
The 26-year-old Australia-raised Canadian then hopes to secure a place in Canada's squad for next autumn's World Cup where a meeting with Australia and his elder brother Matt in Bordeaux on Setember 29 is on the cards. Dunning was in the crowd in Melbourne in November 2003 when his brother, also a prop, played for Australia in their World Cup final defeat by England.
"Playing in the World Cup has been a great ambition of mine and I would love to make the Canada squad for this year's tournament," Dunning said.
"I watched the last World Cup final when my brother played for Australia and the chance of playing against him for Canada in this year's competition is a big incentive for me.
"We've got the Wallabies in a pool game and if I can get fit and back in the Canada squad that would be a huge game.
"I played with Matt at high school but I've never played against him in a game before. He's also injured at the moment with a knee problem and hasn't played for Australia for over a year.
"But he's hopeful of playing for the Warratahs again in the next three weeks and if he stays fit he will be looking to get back into the Australia squad."
Dunning, like his elder brother, was born in Calgary but his parents returned to Australia when he was four. He played most of his club rugby in Australia but was then picked up by Canada who contracted him to their Pacific Pride development side.
His move to the Bees last summer was designed to boaden his experiences in English rugby, but Dunning's season has been blighted by injuries.
"I broke a foot last summer, disclocated an ankle playing against Moseley early in the season and then suffered this double fracture in my second full game back," Dunning said.
"You could say that 2006 was not a good year for me, but I hope that 2007 will be better.
"When I broke my ankle - the fracture was a little bit above the ankle - it was very late in the game against Sedgley Park. I've watched a video of the incident and I wobble over and the maul collapses on top of me.
"I knew straight away that it was broken and I let out a few expletives, more in frustration than in pain because I thought that would be it for the season. I hadn't come all this way just to play ten games of rugby.
"I broke both bones and I had screws inserted to stabilise the fractures. Emma, the club physio, is very pleased with the way my recovery has gone and I had the screws removed last week.
"I've started physio again this week and I hope to be able to start running again next Thursday. If all goes well I could be playing again within a month which would give me around six games for the Bees before the end of the season.
"The Canadian selectors know what my situation is because John Tait, the assistant coach of Canada, and Geraint John, the high performance coach, both know Steve Williams for his playing days at Cardiff.
"The aim is to try to get fit and get back in the Canada squad for the Churchill Cup. That will be played on English soil which will be nice for me. Hopefully the next step after that will be to get into the squad for the World Cup."