All Blacks suffer Ardie Savea blow after bruising Springbok series
· The South African
The All Blacks have suffered a major injury setback, with captain Ardie Savea set to undergo shoulder surgery after being injured during the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’ series against the Springboks.
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Savea dislocated his shoulder during the four-Test series, which New Zealand lost 3-1 to South Africa.
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Serious doubt
The inspirational No 8 is expected to miss at least next month’s Bledisloe Cup Tests against Australia, and is in serious doubt for the conclusion of the Nations Championship in November.
New Zealand provided updates on 10 injured players on Monday, with several key players facing lengthy spells on the sidelines.
The All Blacks confirmed that Savea’s exact return-to-play timeline will only be determined after his operation.
Shoulder surgery following a dislocation can typically require four to six months of rehabilitation.
More All Blacks injury concerns
Savea is not the only major injury concern for New Zealand.
Fellow loose forward Luke Jacobson will be sidelined for four to five months after suffering an elbow tendon injury, effectively ruling him out for the remainder of the season.
Wing Caleb Clarke has also been ruled out for the rest of the year after rupturing a shoulder tendon. His recovery is expected to take around five months.
Prop Ollie Norris is recovering from a knee cartilage injury and is expected to return in time for the Super Rugby pre-season.
Centre Anton Lienert-Brown is facing four to six weeks on the sidelines with a knee injury, while fellow centre Billy Proctor is expected to have a similar recovery period after fracturing his shoulder blade.
There is more positive news surrounding Quinn Tupaea, however, with the centre listed as one to two weeks away from returning from a knee injury.
Flank Anton Segner is also expected back within a couple of weeks after suffering ankle-joint inflammation.
Hooker George Bell was sent home from South Africa with a calf injury but returned to action for Canterbury in the National Provincial Championship on Sunday, scoring a hat-trick of tries.
Bledisloe Cup challenge
The All Blacks will host Australia in Auckland on 10 October before the teams meet again in Sydney the following week.
New Zealand have held the Bledisloe Cup since 2003, meaning their upcoming Tests against the Wallabies will come with another opportunity to defend their long-standing grip on the trophy.
However, the latest injury updates leave the All Blacks facing significant selection challenges following their bruising four-Test campaign against the Springboks.