All Blacks: Dave Rennie forced to make changes to his squad ahead of Bledisloe Cup rematch
All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie (inset) and winger Leroy Carter in action against the Wallabies.
All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie has made some injury-enforced changes to his squad after Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup triumph against the Wallabies in Auckland.
New Zealand clinched a deserved 50-19 win at Eden Park and, in doing so, they extended their unbeaten run at the famous venue to 54 Tests while also retaining the Bledisloe Cup for the 23rd straight year.
Four players ruled out of Bledisloe Cup rematch
However, it was a costly victory as they lost the services of Asafo Aumua, Anton Segner, Leroy Carter and Ethan Blackadder ahead of next Saturday’s rematch against the Wallabies at the Accor Stadium in Sydney.
Rennie has called up George Bell, Du’Plessis Kirifi, Jamie Hannah and Anton Lienert-Brown to the All Blacks squad as injury cover.
“Four players involved in last night’s Bledisloe Cup win at Eden Park will not travel to Sydney for the second Bledisloe Cup Test, due to injury,” an All Blacks statement read.
“Asafo Aumua has failed his second head injury assessment and will have a minimum twelve-day stand-down. George Bell will be brought into the squad as injury replacement.
“Anton Segner has also failed his second head injury assessment and will have a minimum twelve-day stand-down. Du’Plessis Kirifi will be brought into the squad as an injury replacement.
Carter scores a costly try
“Leroy Carter suffered a high ankle sprain in the motion of scoring a try last night and Anton Lienert-Brown will be brought into the squad as an injury replacement.
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“Ethan Blackadder injured his calf during the match warm-up, and as a result, Jamie Hannah will also be added to the squad as an injury replacement.
“The four injury replacement players will all travel to Sydney today, along with the rest of the All Blacks squad.”
