Caleb Clarke sidelined as All Blacks’ injury crisis deepens ahead of first Springboks Test
All Blacks wing Caleb Clarke has been ruled out of the tour to South Africa after rupturing a shoulder tendon.
The All Blacks' squad depth is facing a significant challenge as dynamic wing Caleb Clarke, a key player, has been ruled out of their upcoming tour of South Africa. Clarke, a powerful winger, suffers a ruptured shoulder tendon in the team's recent win against the Sharks in Durban. The injury necessitates surgery, and the recovery timeline remains uncertain.
Clarke expressed his disappointment, stating he is "gutted" to leave the squad. The New Zealand team has already encountered setback with injuries, including a fractured shoulder blade for outside centre Billy Proctor and a calf injury for hooker George Bell. Other critical players like outside back Will Jordan and star scrum-half Cam Roigard are also struggling with minor injuries, requiring careful monitoring.
Proctor was replaced by Richie Mo'unga, while Bell was substituted by Bradley Slater. As the Springboks continue to assess their lineup, Siya Kolisi, their captain, remains questionable due to a recurrence of his hamstring strain sustained during a recent test match against Argentina. However, other returning players such as locks Eben Etzebeth and Lood de Jager, along with flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, have been deemed fit to participate in the first Test against the All Blacks scheduled for Saturday, August 22 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. The All Blacks also play their third tour match against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
