Mo'unga calf tear deepens All Blacks injury crisis ahead of Bledisloe Cup

Richie Mo’unga has been ruled out of New Zealand’s Bledisloe Cup preparations after scans confirmed a calf tear sustained during training on Tuesday, adding to a mounting injury list that is stretching All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie’s options ahead of the two-Test series against Australia.

New Zealand Rugby have not yet set a return timeline for the first-five, and no replacement has been called into the squad at this stage. The injury compounds an already difficult situation at No.10 after Hurricanes playmaker Ruben Love was recently ruled out for the remainder of 2026 with an ankle ligament injury that requires surgery — sustained during the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series in South Africa, where Love had started six Tests this year.

Fehi Fineanganofo has also been withdrawn after suffering a concussion and a hamstring strain while playing for Bay of Plenty. The outside back, who is set to join Newcastle Red Bulls, will serve a mandatory 12-day stand-down period while scans have confirmed an upper hamstring injury. Crusaders back Chay Fihaki has been called into the squad as his replacement.

The latest setbacks extend a lengthy casualty list that emerged from the four-Test tour of South Africa. Ardie Savea, Luke Jacobson, Caleb Clarke and Billy Proctor were among those sidelined after the series, with Anton Lienert-Brown, Quinn Tupaea, Anton Segner and Cortez Ratima also carrying injuries.

Mo’unga’s return-to-play timeline will be determined following further assessment, while Fineanganofo begins his recovery from both injuries. Rennie now faces significant reshuffling before the two-Test Bledisloe Cup series against Australia, with New Zealand’s depth already tested by a bruising run of matches in South Africa.