Leading jockey Glen Boss has been hospitalised with a broken collar bone after his mount Crystal Lily collapsed beneath him and died.

Boss, who’s won the Melbourne Cup three times, has now almost certainly been ruled out of the Spring Carnival.

Stanley Uzunov reports.

TRANSCRIPT

It was supposed to be a light training session, but it became a nightmare for the champion jockey.

Glen Boss’s chances of racing on Smart Missile at Caulfield tomorrow are now all but over.

This isn’t the first major injury he’s suffered he made an inspirational return to riding in 2002, after breaking his neck earlier that year.

In all the codes of football, this is going to be a decisive weekend.

Grand finalists will be determined in the NRL and AFL, while the Wallabies will look to get back to winning ways in the World Cup against the USA tonight.

The Broncos square up against Manly tonight missing their inspirational skipper Darren Lockyer.

But Sam Thaiday’s return to the team as captain will be a big boost.

Brisbane’s young-guns hope to upset hot-favourites Manly, who’ve won seven consecutive grand final qualifiers since 1975.

Des Hasler, Manly coach: “I was doing a count the other day, there are ten state of origin players and four internationals in their side, so they’re a very good side.”

Melbourne are favourites to join them, the Storm lock horns with the Warriors tomorrow night having won all five of their qualifying finals since entering the competition in 1998.

In AFL, Hawthorn will try to upset minor premiers Collingwood tonight, with key forward Lance Franklin set to play.

While West Coast will try to complete a remarkable turnaround on Saturday, when they face Geelong for a place in the Grand Final 12 months on from collecting the wooden spoon.

And finally across the Tasman, the Wallabies will look to regain some confidence against the USA, in what is a must-win game to secure a quarter-final spot.

Ben Alexander, Australian prop: “We’re expecting the same physicality and ferocity that they played Russia and Ireland with.”

The Springboks, Australia’s likely opponents in the quarter-finals, smashed their own World Cup points record last night, recording an 87-0 rout of Namibia.

Stanley Uzunov, QUT News.