All Blacks suffer double injury blow ahead of second Springboks Test
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Double blow.
The All Blacks have been dealt a double injury blow ahead of next weekend’s second Test against the Springboks in Cape Town, with Ethan de Groot and Josh Lord both major doubts.
The pair were forced from the field during the first half of New Zealand’s impressive 33-16 victory over South Africa at Ellis Park after being involved in a nasty head clash.
De Groot and Lord collided while attempting to compete at a Springbok ruck in the 37th minute, with both players subsequently leaving the field for head injury assessments.
George Bower replaced de Groot, while Simon Parker came on for Lord, with Tupou Vaa’i shifting into the second row.
Speaking after the game, All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie confirmed both players will miss Tuesday’s tour fixture against the Lions and suggested they are unlikely to be available for the second Test.
“Only two injuries tonight. Obviously, a head clash, which is problematic long-term. Neither of those guys can play on Tuesday and probably can’t play on Saturday.”
The All Blacks coach also revealed that de Groot had been battling illness in the build-up to the opening Test, having left Friday’s captain’s run early.
The potential loss of two starting forwards would provide Rennie with another selection headache ahead of the Cape Town showdown, with New Zealand already dealing with a number of injuries during their South African tour.
The All Blacks will nevertheless head into the second Test with a 1-0 series advantage after scoring five tries at Ellis Park to end South Africa’s 12-Test winning streak.
The second Test takes place at Cape Town Stadium next Saturday.
