Following a physically brutal opening test of a landmark four-test series against South Africa, New Zealand’s national rugby union team, the All Blacks, has been compelled to add two new players to their squad to cover for injured starters. The side claimed a hard-fought 33-16 victory over the Springboks in Saturday’s Johannesburg clash, but a first-half collision left two key starters sidelined and in doubt for the second test next week.
Loosehead prop Ethan de Groot and lock Josh Lord were both caught in an accidental head-on collision in the 38th minute of the match. Both players failed mandatory post-incident head injury assessments, and under current global concussion protocols for professional rugby, they are highly unlikely to be cleared to compete in the upcoming second test.
To fill the unexpected gaps in the touring squad, New Zealand Rugby has called on prop Ofa Tu’ungafasi, a seasoned international veteran, and lock Jamie Hannah, a young emerging talent. Tu’ungafasi, 34, brings 68 test caps of experience to the side, though he has not featured for the All Blacks in a test match for two years. Hannah, 23, earned his first international cap against France earlier this 2025 campaign, making him one of the newest members of the squad set to step up.
The two injury cover replacements are scheduled to join the full All Blacks touring party on Monday, ahead of the tour’s mid-series match against the Lions, the final fixture before the second test against South Africa. The unplanned injury blow adds a new layer of challenge to the All Blacks’ historic series against the world’s top-ranked rugby nation, forcing coaching staff to adjust their preparations at short notice.