The All Blacks have issued a squad update ahead of their Rugby Championship clash against the Springboks at Eden Park on Saturday.
Scott Robertson is contending with a scrum-half crisis, with Cameron Roigard and Noah Hotham ruled out of the fixture against South Africa, which means that Finlay Christie and Kyle Preston remain in the squad.
Cortez Ratima remains in doubt for the match after sustaining a rib fracture in the defeat to Argentina.
Shock call-up
Due to the growing injury list, New Zealand Rugby look to have made a special exemption to allow Robertson to select back Leicester Fainga’anuku.
Fainga’anuku, who can play centre and wing, returned to New Zealand following a successful stint at French club Toulon, signing with the Crusaders for the next two seasons.
However, he wasn’t expected to be available for the All Blacks until the northern end-of-year tour, due to New Zealand Rugby eligibility rules, but it appears the current injury crisis has resulted in an early call-up for the 25-year-old.
He joins the squad as injury cover for Timoci Tavatavanawai, who will miss the remainder of the Rugby Championship after fracturing his radius during his appearance for Tasman in the National Provincial Championship (NPC).
The All Blacks rookie will undergo surgery and is estimated to return in 12 weeks’ time. Anton Lienert-Brown (concussion) and Tyrel Lomax (hand fracture) have both recovered from injury to re-join the squad in Auckland.
Lock Patrick Tuipulotu will also miss the clash against the Boks due to a facial fracture and is estimated to return to play in four weeks.
He has not linked up with the squad that assembled in Auckland and neither has Roigard, who is recovering from a stress fracture in his right foot that will see him miss both fixtures with the Boks.
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Fellow halfback Noah Hotham has had surgery for a high ankle sprain and is estimated to return in three to four weeks.
Meanwhile, Caleb Clarke will be available for the second match against the Boks as he will remain with Auckland for another round of the NPC, and the same is true for Waikato’s Luke Jacobson.
Prop George Bower has been released from the Rugby Championship squad following the return of Tamaiti Williams but all other injury cover players – Tevita Mafileo, Josh Lord, Christie, Preston and Leroy Carter – remain with the squad.
Finally, lock Sam Darry and halfback Xavier Roe join the squad as training cover.