Kaino undergoes knee surgery

Blues and All Blacks flanker Jerome Kaino is in a race against time to be fit for the series against the British and Irish Lions.

The veteran back-row will undergo knee surgery later this week, and is now set to be on the sidelines for a six-week period. The Blues take on the Lions on June 7, with the first Test a couple of weeks later on June 24.

Kaino suffered a meniscus tear and will be missed by the Blues, who take on the Brumbies in Super Rugby this weekend.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine for the Lions tour,” Blues assistant coach Steve Jackson told Stuff.

“He’ll get his feet up and normally you come back quick from those sorts of operations. It’s about what is in the best interests of the player and he’s got a lot of big things coming up towards June so now was the time to get it done.”

Kaino has won 77 caps over a decade playing for New Zealand, his most recent appearance coming in the win over France last November in Paris.