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Rugby

Overlooked Du’Plessis Kirifi earns All Blacks call-up amid injury crisis



mens

international

New Zealand’s Du’Plessis Kirifi shakes hands with France players after the third international rugby test match between New Zealand and France at FMG Waikato Stadium in Hamilton on July 19, 2025. (Photo by Michael Bradley / AFP) (Photo by MICHAEL BRADLEY/AFP via Getty Images)

The All black people have been forced to make four changes to their traveling squad for the second Bledisloe Cup Test against the Wallabies in Sydney.

Ethan Blackadder, Anton Segner, Leroy Carter and Asafo Aumua will all stay in Auckland ahead of the second Test, with Du’Plessis Kirifi, Jamie Hannah, Anton Lienert-Brown and George Bell joining Dave Rennie’s team in Sydney.

This is Kirifi’s first call-up of 2026, after being repeatedly overlooked by Rennie and his coaching staff. The loose forward has not featured for the All Blacks since the 2025 end-of-year tour under former head coach Scott Robertson.

Hannah returns to the All Blacks environment after featuring in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, while Lienert-Brown made a quick recovery after being injured in the fourth and final Test against the Springboks in Baltimore.

Blackadder will not travel due to a calf injury, which is Crusaders a loose forward picked up in the warm-up at Eden Park. Segner and Aumua both failed HIAs late in the game and have mandatory 12-day suspensions following a head-butt between the two All Blacks while running the match.

Carter’s injury will be the one that will have Rennie and the All Blacks coaching staff sweating the most, after he was helped off the field following his second-half try.

Rennie told the media after the match that they would be more aware of the extent in the coming days.

“yes, that it is not have a look good. Sort of what you call a hip drop type resolution, landed he the back of his ankle,” Rennie said in Auckland.

“I I didn’t had a a chance that to talk that the Assoc however, but that looked reasonable seriously.”

The All Blacks head coach also said Scott Barrett suffered an HIA late in the battle at Eden Park but was confident he would pass protocols for the second Test.

“yes, so Scott it didn’t work his test. He is quite a bit good, we to think and so he is still an option for this week, assuming that he passes everything the protocols. I Anton was keen that to play on, but Got said that go.

“So those guys will to have that get through a a little tests nonsense, because we are Got a limited number of guys travel, so we will I know a bit more Fr tomorrow.”





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