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All Blacks captain to miss Argentina trip
By Online Editors
All Blacks captain Kieran Read will not feature during next weekend's Rugby Championship test in Argentina.
Read will not travel with the squad for the fixture but will re-join the squad for their highly anticipated rematch with the Springboks the following week in Pretoria.
"We always had a plan to manage Kieran's long-haul travel this year, following his return to rugby after back surgery," said All Blacks coach Steve Hansen.
"He'll miss the trip to Argentina and re-join the squad in South Africa for the Test against the Springboks."
Read will be replaced by Vaea Fifita for the Pumas test. Likely candidates to assume captaincy for the Argentina Test include lock Sam Whitelock, loose forwards Sam Cane and Luke Whitelock as well as outside back Ben Smith.
Ngani Laumape, who was called in as injury cover for Sonny Bill Williams earlier in the Rugby Championship, will also remain in New Zealand.
Dane Coles, Joe Moody, Brodie Retallick and Liam Squire are all unavailable due to injury.
All Blacks
Hookers: Liam Coltman, Nathan Harris, Codie Taylor.
Props: Owen Franks, Tim Perry, Angus Ta'avao, Karl Tu'inukuafe, Ofa Tuungafasi.
Locks: Scott Barrett, Patrick Tuipulotu, Sam Whitelock.
Loose Forwards: Sam Cane, Vaea Fifita (Argentina test), Shannon Frizell, Jackson Hemopo, Kieran Read (South Africa test), Ardie Savea, Luke Whitelock.
Halfbacks: TJ Perenara, Aaron Smith, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi.
First Fives: Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie, Richie Mo'unga.
Midfielders: Ryan Crotty, Jack Goodhue, Anton Lienert-Brown, Sonny Bill Williams.
Outside Backs: Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Waisake Naholo, Ben Smith.
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Latest Comments
It’s a good, timely wake up call for NZ Rugby (seem to be a few of them lately!) - sort out the bureaucratic nonsense at board level. We can’t expect to stay the number one option without keeping fans/players engaged. We’ve obviously been bleeding players to league for years but can’t let the floodgates open (although I think this headline is hyperbolic as it’s a result of a recent Warriors pathways system where they are tracking things more closely) Understand the need to focus boys on rugby if they’re at a proud rugby school too, don’t think it’s harsh at all re Barakat in Hamilton. Reward the committed players with squad positions. An elite 1st XV system in NZ has done more for league than they even realise, think it’s good to protect our game further.
Go to commentsDon’t pay a blind bit of notice to Lukie… he likes the sound of his own voice and is always looking for something controversial to say. He has been banging on about Leinster's defensive system all season like he knows something Jacques Nienebar doesn’t. Which is the reason why he didn’t apply for the job obviously
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