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All Blacks to be without both first-choice props for July tests

Ofa Tuungafasi. (Photo by Derek Morrison/Photosport)

Having already lost first-choice loosehead prop Joe Moody to a plantar fascia injury, the All Blacks will now have to also cope without their first-choice tighthead for their July tests with Tonga and Fiji.

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Having sat out two of the last three matches for the Blues – and again being absent from the team naming for Saturday’s Super Rugby Trans-Tasman final – Ofa Tuungafasi is now set for a further stint on the sidelines with coach Leon MacDonald revealing that the All Black will undergo surgery for an ongoing knee problem.

“His knee is causing more trouble than what we would have hoped, and his finger is a bit of a mess as well,” said MacDonald on Thursday. “So he’s a bit battered at the moment.

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“I think he’s having a little tidy-up soon to clear his knee out. It’s going to keep him on the sidelines for a few more weeks.”

The All Blacks subsequently confirmed on Twitter that the front-rower would miss the July matches but that he could return for The Rugby Championship, which is set to kick off in August.

Tuungafasi last featured for the Blues in their narrow win over the Reds at the beginning of March.

The 29-year-old – who’s capable of propping up both sides of the scrum – backed up Nepo Laulala at the 2019 Rugby World Cup but emerged as the first-choice No 3 in 2020 and started the opening four matches of the New Zealand national side’s campaign last year before being suspended for a dangerous tackle.

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Nepo Laulala and Tyrel Lomax filled in at tighthead in Tuungafasi’s absence but all signs pointed to the mobile Blues prop being reinstated at No 3 after again battling it out with Laulala for game time with the Blues during this year’s Super Rugby campaign.

The All Blacks will name a 36-man squad on Monday evening and will likely select six props for the matches with Tonga and Fiji. While New Zealand’s incumbent props haven’t set the world alight during Super Rugby this season, injuries to experienced operators Moody and Tuungafasi will likely see coach Ian Foster recall the remaining front-rowers that were used during last year’s campaign.

That means Laulala, Lomax, Karl Tu’inukuafe and Alex Hodgman will almost certainly all be named with two new additions likely.

The leading front-runners include the Chiefs first-choice pair of Aidan Ross and Angus Ta’avao as well as rising Highlanders star Ethan de Groot – who will go head-to-head with Laulala at Eden Park on Saturday in the Super Rugby Trans-Tasman final.

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J
JW 2 hours ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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