New Zealand's second line from Worcester Michael Fatialofa, injured in the neck during a league game against the Saracens on Saturday, was operated on Monday in London. An operation that was "a success", according to his wife.
"He's the strongest man I know," she said on her Instagram account. The operation was a success, but we already knew it would be because if God is with us, who will be against us! "
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Tattooed on his ❤️ like a 🛡! @michaelfats strongest man I know. Surgery was a success ... but we already knew it would be because if God is for us, who can be against us! #MYAIGASTRONG # STEP1 👊🏿
A post shared by TATIANA (@tatianafats) on Jan 6, 2020 at 2:31 pm PST
Entering as a substitute, Fatialofa, 27, was injured in contact after less than a minute on the field. The match had been interrupted for ten minutes, while the New Zealander received first aid before being evacuated on a stretcher, then by ambulance, to Saint Mary's Hospital in London.
The player, who had less power and feeling in his limbs after the shock, was placed in the intensive care unit. "He is fully awake and alert and he is accompanied by his family," the club said before the operation, adding that the results of the first scanners were positive, "showing no fractures". However, he suffers from bruises and a hematoma of the spinal cord.
The Saracens won the game 62-5, gleaning a precious bonus point in the maintenance race, after the 35 penalty points inflicted at the start of the season for repeated exceedances of the salary ceiling.
