The All Blacks are now two from two on their end-of-year Grand Slam tour after two victories against Ireland in Chicago and Scotland in Edinburgh, respectively.
But it’s not all rosy for Scott Robertson’s side, with the All Blacks today announcing two Chiefs loose forwards have headed home to New Zealand, and won’t play any further part in the tour.
Samipeni Finau has headed home due to illness in the family, and Luke Jacobson will return to New Zealand after a head knock in the All Blacks XV game against England A last weekend.
With that unfortunate news for those two players comes an opportunity for others to impress Robertson and co, with only two games remaining in the 2025 international season.
Robertson and his coaching staff have drafted in three players as training cover for the game this weekend against England, all from Jamie Joseph’s All Blacks XV squad.
Crusaders loose-forward Christian Lio-Willie will come in as loose-forward cover for the week, while Josh Beehre will also join the squad in London, like he did last week before the Scotland game at Murrayfield.
Exciting young Highlanders winger Caleb Tangitau is the last of the three to be drafted into the squad this week, after impressing in the first two games on tour with Joseph’s side.
The 22-year-old has already scored a couple of tries for the All Blacks XV this season, after having a superb try-scoring season with the Dunedin-based franchise in 2025.
Robertson’s side is likely to regain the services of their captain Scott Barrett, who missed last weekend’s encounter against Scotland with a leg laceration, but is also without Blues winger Caleb Clarke, who failed an HIA at Murrayfield and is on a 12-day stand-down period.
Barrett’s return could see in-form Chiefs lock Josh Lord return to the bench, while Clarke’s absence gives Robertson the chance to make some positional shifts in the backline, or move either Sevu Reece or Rieko Ioane in as specialist wingers.