The All Blacks will be without Will Jordan and Leicester Fainga’anuku for their opening test of the Rugby Championship.
Fainga’anuku is nursing a calf injury while Jordan is managing a migraine-like condition after a busy end to the Super Rugby season, and both backs won’t travel to Argentina for the opening game.
As first reported by Newstalk ZB rugby commentator and Herald columnist Elliott Smith, Chiefs outside back Shaun Stevenson and Hurricanes prop Tevita Mafileo (as cover for Fletcher Newell) will depart with the squad on Sunday after it was decided that Fainga’anuku and Jordan will remain in New Zealand.
It is another setback for Jordan’s return to the black jersey - the dynamic outside back missed last year’s northern tour with an inner ear injury and migraine symptoms, leaving yet more questions as to how the All Blacks back three will take shape when they line up for the first test of the Rugby Championship.
“Will has been going really well but in order to make sure he keeps tracking that way, we’ve decided to withdraw him from the long-haul trip to Argentina,” said All Blacks coach Ian Foster.
“This is more of a precautionary measure that we’ve put in place with the bigger picture of 2023 in mind.”
The pair add to an already concerning injury list for Foster - with veteran Sam Whitelock in doubt to play against Argentina after defying medical advice to help lead the Crusaders to their seventh straight Super Rugby title.
Travelling squad (Name, Age, Club, Province, Test Caps) *new cap
Hookers
Codie Taylor (32, Crusaders / Canterbury, 76)
Dane Coles (36, Hurricanes / Wellington, 84)
Samisoni Taukei’aho (25, Chiefs / Waikato, 24)
Props
Ethan de Groot (24, Highlanders / Southland, 13)
Fletcher Newell (23, Crusaders / Canterbury, 6)
Nepo Laulala (31, Blues / Counties Manukau, 45)
Ofa Tu’ungafasi (31, Blues / Northland, 50)
Tamaiti Williams (22, Crusaders / Canterbury) *
Tyrel Lomax (27, Hurricanes / Tasman, 23)
Tevita Mafile’o (25, Hurricanes / Bay of Plenty) *
Locks
Brodie Retallick (32, Chiefs / Hawkes Bay, 100)
Josh Lord (22, Chiefs / Taranaki, 2)
Samuel Whitelock (34, Crusaders / Canterbury, 143)
Scott Barrett (29, Crusaders / Taranaki, 58)
Tupou Vaa’i (23, Chiefs / Taranaki, 18)
Loose forwards
Ardie Savea (29, Hurricanes / Wellington, 70)
Dalton Papali’i (25, Blues / Counties Manukau, 22)
Luke Jacobson (26, Chiefs / Waikato, 12)
Sam Cane (captain) (31, Chiefs / Bay of Plenty, 86)
Samipeni Finau (24, Chiefs / Waikato) *
Shannon Frizell (29, Highlanders / Tasman, 25)
Halfbacks
Aaron Smith (34, Highlanders / Manawatu, 114)
Finlay Christie (27, Blues / Tasman, 14)
Cam Roigard (22, Hurricanes / Counties Manukau) *
First-five eighths
Beauden Barrett (32, Blues / Taranaki, 112)
Damian McKenzie (28, Chiefs / Waikato, 40)
Richie Mo’unga (29, Crusaders / Canterbury, 44)
Midfielders
Anton Lienert-Brown (28, Chiefs / Waikato, 60)
Jordie Barrett (26, Hurricanes / Taranaki, 48)
Rieko Ioane (26, Blues / Auckland, 59)
Braydon Ennor (25, Crusaders / Canterbury, 6)
Dallas McLeod (24, Crusaders / Canterbury) *
Outside backs
Caleb Clarke (24, Blues / Auckland, 15)
Emoni Narawa (23, Chiefs / Bay of Plenty) *
Shaun Stevenson (26, Chiefs / Waikato) *
Mark Telea (26, Blues / North Harbour, 2)
