Jerome Kaino and Charles Piutau injury concerns for All Blacks
Monday 4 May 2015 11:18, UK
All Blacks loose forward Jerome Kaino and outside back Charles Piutau will miss the rest of the Super Rugby season after being injured over the weekend while playing for Auckland Blues.
Kaino will be sidelined for eight weeks after suffering a compound fracture to the ring finger of his left hand, while Piutau sustained a medial ligament injury to his knee that will put him out of action for six weeks.
The injury to Kaino, who started every match in the World Cup on home soil four years ago and played eight Tests at blindside flanker for the All Blacks last season, will be a blow to New Zealand coach Steve Hansen.
A nominee for World Player of the Year in 2011 and key member of Hansen's squad, he must now be a major doubt for the All Blacks' season-opener against Samoa in Apia on July 8.
New Zealand then play Rugby Championship Tests against Argentina in Christchurch on July 17 and South Africa in Johannesburg on July 25 before back-to-back matches against Australia in Sydney and Auckland on August 8 and 15.
Piutau hopes to force his way into the All Blacks squad despite deciding to join Irish province Ulster for next season but the injury will come as a major setback.
There are also concerns about in-form Wellington Hurricanes fly-half Beauden Barrett, who injured his knee on Saturday and will have scans to identify the scale of the problem.
