Head coach Scott Robertson has named his All Blacks squad for the trip to South Africa. Picture: Dave Rowland/Getty Images
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has named his side for their two-Test tour of South Africa.
The New Zealanders will arrive in South Africa later this week for Rugby Championship Tests in Joburg next weekend (August 31) and in Cape Town on September 7.
The 36-man squad will be without lock Patrick Tuipulotu and outside back Stephen Perofeta, who both have calf injuries. Both players also missed the recent two Tests against Argentina in Wellington and Auckland.
The two players who’ve been added to the squad to cover for the unavailability of Tuipulotu and Perofeta are lock Josh Lord and utility back Harry Plummer.
The squad will be captained by Scott Barrett.
The New Zealanders will go into the Tests on the back of a defeat and a win against Argentina, while the Springboks have two wins in the bag from their Tests against the Wallabies in Brisbane and Perth.
On Tuesday, Bok boss Rassie Erasmus named his 37-man squad for the Tests, with five World Cup winners recalled to the group.
Formerly injured men Steven Kitshoff, Canan Moodie and Jaden Hendrikse are back in the mix after not playing any Test rugby earlier this year, while the two men who were serving lengthy suspensions, Jasper Wiese and Andre Esterhuizen, are back and available for selection.
Hookers: Asafo Aumua, Codie Taylor, George Bell
Props: Ethan De Groot, Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Tamaiti Williams
Locks: Scott Barrett (capt), Sam Darry, Josh Lord, Tupou Vaa’i
Loose forwards: Ethan Blackadder, Sam Cane, Samipeni Finau, Luke Jacobson, Dalton Papali’i, Ardie Savea, Wallace Sititi
Scrumhalves: Noah Hotham, TJ Perenara, Cortez Ratima
Flyhalves: Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie
Centres: Jordie Barrett, David Havili, Rieko Ioane, Anton Lienert-Brown, Billy Proctor
Outside backs: Caleb Clarke, Will Jordan, Ruben Love, Harry Plummer, Sevu Reece, Mark Tele’a
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