Wallabies turn to Corey Toole and young midfielder after Len Ikitau injury

The Wallabies will be without one of their most influential players for the second Bledisloe Cup Test against the All Blacks in Sydney, with Len Ikitau ruled out after a head knock in Auckland.

Ikitau left the field on the 30-minute mark, and didn’t return as his side fell to a 50-19 defeat at the hands of Dave Rennie’s All Blacks at their fortress.

Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Isaac Henry finished the Eden Park loss as the midfield combination, and could be asked to back up in Sydney, with limited experienced midfielders available.

Jordan Petaia, who is yet to lace up for the Wallabies since being named in the Bledisloe Cup squad, will also miss the second Test, having picked up an ankle injury during training.

Les Kiss has turned to ACT Brumbies duo Corey Toole and Kadin Pritchard to replace Petaia and Ikitau, and they will join up with the Wallabies in Sydney on Sunday.

The All Blacks have also been forced into multiple changes for next weekend’s battle at Accor Stadium, calling up Du’Plessis Kirifi, George Bell, Jamie Hannah, and Anton Lienert-Brown.

Both Anton Segner and Asafo Aumua have been ruled out through HIA protocols, having clashed heads while making a brutal tackle in the second half at Eden Park.

Ethan Blackadder, who wasn’t in the match-day 23 for the All Blacks, headed down the tunnel in the warm-up with a calf injury.

The Wallabies will, though, have the services of Rob Valetini for the second Test in Sydney, despite what looked like a hip drop tackle on All Blacks winger Leroy Carter.

Carter charged towards the Wallabies line, before Valetini stretched to make a last-ditch tackle, but the Brumbies loose-forward’s weight landed on the back of the All Black.

Carter was helped from the field and will miss next weekend’s Bledisloe Cup clash.