All Blacks forced into late change ahead of game one vs Boks

An ankle injury has ruled Anton Segner out of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Test series opener, with All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie turning to Simon Parker off the bench in his place.

Segner, who is in just his first season with the New Zealand team, is dealing with acute inflammatory arthritis, facing an unknown return timeline as it stands. The injury was announced just six hours before kickoff, after Segner presented with swelling.

The 25-year-old had earned his place in the matchday 23 with two strong bench performances in July and two powerful starts against the Stormers and Bulls to begin the RGR tour. In both of his games on South African soil, the German-born flanker registered double-digit tackles and carries. He was rewarded for those efforts by being named in the No.19 jersey against the Springboks in Saturday’s Johannesburg Test.

While Parker was also selected in the All Blacks’ July squad, he missed selection for all three games and only earned his first minutes alongside Segner in the Stormers and Bulls wins. The 26-year-old Chiefs bruiser was handed a yellow card just 13 minutes into his Cape Town season debut, returning to the game and scoring a try before the first half was done.

The change is a straight swap, meaning the starting loose forward trio of Tupou Vaa’i, Luke Jacobson and Ardie Savea will remain in place, and Parker will join Peter Lakai on the bench.