There is some good news for the All Blacks for their end-of-the-year tour, with fly-half Beauden Barrett, Caleb Clarke, and Ethan de Groot rejoining the squad.
Barrett, Clarke, de Groot, and Tyrel Lomax were sidelined during the Rugby Championship for injuries.
They were replaced by Damian McKenzie, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Fletcher Newell, and Tamaiti Williams.
Lock Tupou Vaa’i was also a late withdrawal, leading to Fabian Holland’s inclusion in Perth, and the lock is set to miss the rest of their campaign this year.
Vaa’i wrote on Instagram that he tore his meniscus, and he does not know how long it will take to recover.
He says he will use this time to spend with family and get better for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.
Meniscus: a crescent-shaped piece of tough, flexible cartilage in each knee that acts as a shock absorber and cushions the thighbone from the shinbone.
According to head coach Scott Robertson, there is better news on Barrett, who is “fine for the end of the year, while Clarke and De Groot will rejoin the squad.
The All Blacks will be without Emoni Narawa and Noah Hotham for the November internationals.
It is particularly brutal on Narawa, who impressed in the opening minutes of their Eden Park victory over the Springboks, scoring a try, before suffering a serious rib injury, which has ruled him out for longer than expected.
The All Blacks will face Ireland at 8.10am on the 2nd of November, before playing Scotland at 3.10am on the 9th of November.
They will then meet England at 3.10am on the 16th and play Wales at 3.10am on the 23rd of November.
Source : Planet Rugby
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