Ahead of this Saturday’s highly anticipated opening test match against world-champion South African Springboks in Pretoria, New Zealand’s All Blacks have been hit by a crippling wave of injuries that has forced the coaching staff to make last-minute squad adjustments, including a late call-up for uncapped scrumhalf Noah Hotham.
Hotham, who was controversially left out of the All Blacks’ original 44-man touring squad when selectors chose his Crusaders backup Kyle Preston instead, will travel to South Africa to provide injury cover for two injured halves: Cortez Ratima and Cam Roigard. Ratima picked up a knee injury during the All Blacks’ warm-up match against the Bulls in Pretoria earlier this week, while Roigard has been sidelined with a calf injury since before the tour began and has yet to take the field in South Africa.
The injury crisis does not end at scrumhalf: prop Ollie Norris has also been forced to withdraw from the entire tour after damaging knee cartilage. Norris will immediately fly back to New Zealand to receive treatment, and the All Blacks Rugby Union confirmed that a replacement for the front rower will be announced at a later date.
This tour of South Africa, which features a four-test series between the top-ranked world champion Springboks and the second-ranked All Blacks, has already seen a staggering number of key players fall to injury before the first official test even kicks off. Prior to the latest wave of injuries, three other All Blacks had already been sent home: hooker George Bell (calf injury), center Billy Proctor (broken shoulder blade), and winger Caleb Clarke (shoulder tendon injury).
Several other injured starters are still remaining with the touring squad but are uncertain to feature in Saturday’s opening test. These include flyhalf Damian McKenzie, who is carrying an ankle injury, and star winger Will Jordan, who has yet to play a single minute on tour due to a persistent back injury. Both Roigard and Ratima are also still with the squad as they undergo assessment, but their game readiness remains in doubt.
The injury crisis has thrown the All Blacks’ preparations for one of the biggest rugby series of the year into disarray, leaving coaching staff scrambling to assemble a fit and competitive side just days out from the first battle with the world champions.