All Blacks injury list continues to grow with double whammy before Wallabies

The All Blacks have suffered another injury setback ahead of their Bledisloe Cup series, with Richie Mo’unga and Fehi Fineanganofo both ruled out of the meeting at Eden Park on Saturday.

Mo’unga sustained a calf injury during training on Tuesday, with scans confirming a tear. New Zealand Rugby have not yet put a timeframe on the first-five’s return and no replacement has been called into the squad at this stage.

The injury is another blow to Dave Rennie’s options at No.10 after Ruben Love was recently ruled out for the remainder of 2026. The Hurricanes playmaker requires surgery on an ankle ligament injury suffered during Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry in South Africa, having started six Tests for the All Blacks this year.

Newcastle Red Bulls-bound Fineanganofo has also been withdrawn after suffering a concussion and hamstring strain while playing for Bay of Plenty. The outside back will serve a mandatory 12-day stand-down period, while scans have also confirmed an upper hamstring injury.

The Crusaders’ Chay Fihaki has been called into the All Blacks squad as Fineanganofo’s replacement, adding another option to a backline already hit by injuries following the four-Test tour of South Africa.

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9 Oct 26

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The latest setbacks add to a lengthy casualty list from Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry. Ardie Savea, Luke Jacobson, Caleb Clarke and Billy Proctor were among those sidelined after the series, while Anton Lienert-Brown, Quinn Tupaea, Anton Segner and Cortez Ratima were also carrying injuries.

New Zealand had already lost Love for the remainder of the year, leaving Mo’unga’s calf issue as another concern at first-five ahead of the two-Test Bledisloe Cup series against Australia.

The timing leaves Rennie with further reshuffling to do before the two-Test series against Australia, with New Zealand’s depth already being tested following a bruising four-match tour of South Africa.

Mo’unga’s return-to-play timeline will be determined following further assessment, while Fineanganofo will now begin his recovery from both the concussion and hamstring injury.