Before a touring squad has even been chosen, the All Blacks find their depth tested again, as three more players join a growing list of absences that now stands at nine. Prop Tyrel Lomax, hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho and loose forward Shannon Frizell will not make the northern journey, each for a different reason: one a knee torn in the heat of a Bledisloe contest, one a calf strained by a sudden burst, and one a neck that has carried an old injury through a long season. It is a reminder, as old as the sport itself, that a team's strength is measured not only by who takes the field but by how we
Three more All Blacks ruled out of northern tour as injury toll reaches nine
Nine players out before the squad has even been named
Mark
Nine players out before the squad is even named. How significant is that?
Mimi
It's a lot, and it's concentrated. Props, a hooker, loose forwards and the captain are all on the list, so the pack takes most of the hit.
Luke
Worth saying the list is of players ruled out, not of players who were definitely starters. The reporting doesn't say who would have been picked.
Mark
The three new names have different injuries. Does that matter?
Mimi
It does. Frizell and Taukei'aho were hurt in Sydney, so those are acute. Lomax has been managing a neck disc problem since Super Rugby.
Luke
And his is the open-ended one. The All Blacks say it's still aggravated and he'll stay home while it settles, but no timeline is given.
Mark
What about Mo'unga?
Mimi
He missed both Bledisloe tests with a calf injury and is still being assessed.
Luke
Right, so he isn't ruled out. Anyone reading him as a ninth or tenth casualty is getting ahead of what's been confirmed.
Mark
What happens next?
Mimi
Tuesday morning, a 36-man squad, then Scotland, Wales and England in November, with the finals weekend after that.
El Pulso
- Nine All Blacks are now sidelined, and the list could still grow as medical staff assess Richie Mo'unga's calf injury.
- Captain Ardie Savea's absence, combined with two front-row forwards and two loose forwards out, leaves the pack noticeably thinner.
- Selectors must name a 36-man touring squad on Tuesday and decide how to fill the gaps left by the injured.
- The northern tour looms with tests against Scotland, Wales and England, and the November 27-29 finals weekend waits beyond them.
Before a touring squad has even been chosen, the All Blacks find their depth tested again, as three more players join a growing list of absences that now stands at nine. Prop Tyrel Lomax, hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho and loose forward Shannon Frizell will not make the northern journey, each for a different reason: one a knee torn in the heat of a Bledisloe contest, one a calf strained by a sudden burst, and one a neck that has carried an old injury through a long season. It is a reminder, as old as the sport itself, that a team's strength is measured not only by who takes the field but by how well it endures the ones who cannot.
On Saturday the All Blacks confirmed that three more players will not travel north, bringing the number of unavailable men to nine before the touring squad has even been named. Prop Tyrel Lomax, hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho and loose forward Shannon Frizell are the latest to go, and selectors must announce their 36-man squad on Tuesday morning.
Frizell's injury came during the second Bledisloe Cup test in Sydney, when a knee gave way without any contact. A scan revealed a ruptured posterior cruciate ligament, and he faces about six weeks on the sidelines. Taukei'aho was hurt in the same match, tearing a calf after accelerating off a maul in the second half. His recovery of four to six weeks rules him out of the November window entirely.
Lomax's absence has a quieter story. He did not play in either Bledisloe test, having managed a neck disc injury since the Super Rugby season. The All Blacks said it remained aggravated, so he will stay home while it settles.
The three join six players already out, including captain Ardie Savea, and the list may not be final, since Richie Mo'unga's calf injury is still under assessment. The tour carries real weight: matches against Scotland, Wales and England lead to a finals weekend on November 27-29. Tuesday's squad will show how selectors fill the gaps, and whether Mo'unga is among the names.
On Saturday the All Blacks confirmed that three more players will not travel north, pushing the number of unavailable men to nine before the touring squad has even been named. Prop Tyrel Lomax, hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho and loose forward Shannon Frizell are the latest to go. Selectors are due to announce a 36-man squad on Tuesday morning.
Frizell's injury came in the second Bledisloe Cup test in Sydney, where he left the field with a knee problem that involved no contact. A scan later showed he had ruptured the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He faces about six weeks out.
Taukei'aho was hurt in the same match. In the second half he accelerated off a maul and tore his calf. The expected recovery is four to six weeks, which takes him out of the November window entirely.
Lomax's case is different. He did not play in either Bledisloe test. He has been managing a disc injury in his neck since the Super Rugby season, and the All Blacks said it remained aggravated. He will stay home for treatment while it settles.
The three join six players already ruled out: captain Ardie Savea (shoulder), loose forward Luke Jacobson (elbow), wingers Caleb Clarke (shoulder) and Leroy Carter (ankle), first five-eighths Ruben Love (ankle) and prop Ollie Norris (knee). Losing the captain alongside two front-row forwards and two loose forwards leaves the pack notably thinner.
The list may not be final. Medical staff are still assessing other players, among them first five-eighths Richie Mo'unga, who missed both Bledisloe tests with a calf injury. His status is unresolved.
The tour has real stakes. The All Blacks play Scotland on November 8, Wales on November 15 and England on November 22, which completes their round-robin in the Nations Championship. The competition then closes with a finals weekend on November 27-29, with six tests matching each northern hemisphere side against the corresponding seed from the south.
Tuesday's squad announcement will show how selectors fill the gaps, and whether Mo'unga is among the names.
Citas Notables
Lomax's neck disc injury remained aggravated, so he will stay home for treatment while it settles.— All Blacks statement, as reported by 1News
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