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Injury blow sees All Black lock replaced by Crusaders teammate

By Online Editors
Quinten Strange. (Photo by Michael Bradley/Getty Images)

Uncapped Crusaders lock Mitchell Dunshea has been called into the All Blacks squad.

Dunshea replaces Crusaders teammate Quinten Strange, who has left the camp after suffering an ankle injury.

Strange is understood to be sidelined for six to eight weeks, effectively ruling him out of the upcoming Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship.

The Aotearoa Rugby Pod panel with James Parsons and Bryn Hall discuss what to expect from this All Blacks side heading into The Rugby Championship in the midst of a disrupted 2020 season coming off the back of a World Cup loss.

His departure leaves the squad with a gap in an already tricky area of depth. Dunshea will assemble with the team next week in Wellington ahead of the first Bledisloe Cup test.

Canterbury co-coach Reuben Thorne says they only found out during this afternoon's training session, ahead of his side's Mitre 10 Cup match against Wellington this weekend.

"It's a fantastic opportunity for him. We thought he might be in that position already.

"He's one of those guys who just works and works and works. Underrated as a lineout forward.

"His work rate's massive he gets around the field and makes a lot of tackles. I don't think it'll be an issue for him at a high level – he's got the talent, he's got the desire and he's as tough as nails."

Thorne says it wasn't the biggest surprise to lose Dunshea to All Blacks selection.

"The locking stocks, it's a challenging area and we know there's a couple of guys with injury concerns… we always felt our locks were probably at risk, particularly Mitch.

"It's a bit of a blow for us to be honest, because he's a key part of our group."

Mitchell Dunshea. (Photo by Dianne Manson/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Hurricanes midfielder Ngani Laumape, Crusaders captain Scott Barrett and Otago hooker Liam Coltman have joined the camp.

Laumape (broken forearm) and Barrett (toe) will have their respective injuries assessed but both are expected to be among the 11 players added to the original 35-man squad, along with Wellington midfielder Peter Umaga-Jensen who is in line to replace the injured Braydon Ennor, for the Rugby Championship.

Coltman has been called in to cover Asafo Aumua who is recovering from a head knock suffered while playing for Wellington. Beauden Barrett is also back the squad following the birth of his daughter, Billie Rose.

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I dont believe Skelton has ever proven himself at test level tho Nick. Yep he played well against a side they scored plenty against but his record v the top sides isnt special. Good quality player but Im not as convinced about him as you seem to be, as you base most of your opinion on his local club stuff not really his test performances. His test record of 30 tests in 10 years explains itself very well. I think he is an honest performer but certainly not a top notch International player.

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Hellhound 22 minutes ago

I wonder Jake, who do you think is the best fit for Australia as a coach? Not since Joe Schmidt took over as coach did Australia look any good, however, there is always this debate around not having an Aussie coach by the fans and so called pundits and old players.


Some of them are changing their minds now however, but I would love to see who you would choose. I think Joe Schmidt is an excellent coach, who puts in everything for the team he is coaching. To him, there is no such thing as being biased.

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