Wallabies and NSW winger Drew Mitchell's World Cup dream is over after suffering one of the most sickening foot injuries seen in Super Rugby on Saturday night.

Mitchell badly dislocated his right ankle and also fractured a bone as he fell awkwardly chasing a kick midway through the first half of the Waratahs' 19-15 loss to Queensland at Suncorp Stadium.

Mitchell screamed out in pain and motioned to his foot, which was pointing towards the opposite direction to normal.

The speedster, who has been in career-best form this year to bag six tries, had to be sedated as his ankle was put back into place by medical staff.

"He'll be gone for the year," said NSW coach Chris Hickey.

"It's a pretty significant injury."

Waratahs skipper Phil Waugh admitted the nature of the ugly injury shook Mitchell's team-mates in the tense, grinding affair.

"I think it rattled anyone who saw it," Waugh said.

"It was disappointing - you don't want to see that happen to anyone in the world in any sport."

The Waratahs may take action against Reds No.8 Scott Higginbotham over the injury as they felt the forward deliberately impeded Mitchell by adjusting his own path and into the line of the winger as he chased a box kick by Luke Burgess.

The 55-Test player had been considered a certainty in Robbie Deans' Wallabies squad, but now he must watch the World Cup, starting in September, as he recovers on the sideline.

It wasn't the only ugly injury in the first half with Reds prop Ben Daley suffering a badly broken nose in being knocked out cold and left bloodied in a tackle on Ben Mowen.

Daley was replaced but came back on twice before having to retreat to the bench both times as his wounds opened up within minutes of returning to the action.

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