New Zealand scrumhalf Noah Hotham has been ruled out of the final Rugby Championship matches against Australia after having surgery on a broken fibula in another blow to the All Blacks' halfback stocks.
Hotham, who suffered a high right ankle sprain during the France series, lasted only nine minutes in his return to play before injuring his left leg in a clash with Springboks lock Lood de Jager.
The 22-year-old posted an X-ray scan on social media showing a clean break in his fibula just above his left ankle.
New Zealand Rugby says Hotham would not feature in the home Test against the Wallabies at Eden Park on September 27 or the final match in Perth a week later, both of which double as the Bledisloe Cup, the annual series contested between the trans-Tasman neighbours.
NZR says a timeline on his recovery was being assessed.
Hotham is the third scrumhalf in Scott Robertson's squad to succumb to injury, following a foot stress fracture for Cam Roigard and a broken rib for Cortez Ratima.
Robertson was hopeful Roigard and Ratima would be available for Auckland.
In Hotham's absence in Wellington, Finlay Christie took over at scrumhalf as the All Blacks crashed to their heaviest defeat in over 120 years of Tests.
New Zealand are third on the Rugby Championship table on 10 points, one behind leading Australia and level with second-placed South Africa.
The All Blacks play the Wallabies at 5.05pm next Saturday at Eden Park while the Springboks meet Argentina at 3.05am next Sunday at Kings Park in Durban.
[Source: rugby.co.au]
