Four home, six in, and Richie Mo'unga back in black

Six weeks in South Africa was always going to cost something. Five matches in, the bill is four players sent home, one ended by an infection nobody saw coming, and two more concussed in the same tackle.

It has also produced one of the better stories of the year.

Richie Mo'unga is back

Called in as cover, Mo'unga started at first five against the Lions on 25 August, his first appearance in a black jersey since the 2023 World Cup final. Fifty-six Tests, then two years away, then Ellis Park on a Tuesday night.

Dave Rennie was matter of fact about the decision: "Richie is the obvious choice for a replacement. His job now is to get in and learn our systems."

He got a decent introduction. The All Blacks went 18 points down to the Lions and came back to win 41-35, scoring twelve tries in the process.

Who has gone home

George Bell (hooker, Crusaders) was the first casualty and never got on the field. A calf strain in training in Cape Town before the tour opener, roughly six weeks, and home. Rennie: "We are all gutted for George, to be ruled out of the tour so early. He's had a frustrating past few months with injury so it's a real blow."

Billy Proctor (Hurricanes) suffered a fractured shoulder blade early in the second half against the Stormers. No surgery needed, but 10 to 12 weeks, which ends his season.

Caleb Clarke (Blues, 37 Tests) ruptured a shoulder tendon against the Sharks and, remarkably, played on through the rest of the first half. He needs surgery. As the team put it afterwards: "It was quite amazing really, because we think he did well that first half."

Ollie Norris (Chiefs) went home with a knee cartilage injury built up over two bench appearances. Around six weeks.

The one nobody expected

Anton Segner had been the form loose forward of the tour, man of the match against the Bulls, and was named on the bench for the first Test. He withdrew on the eve of it.

What looked like an ankle problem turned out to be an acute inflammatory arthritis, an infection of the ankle joint. He was hospitalised, then had keyhole surgery to wash the infection out, and is out for the rest of the tour.

Rennie, before the diagnosis was public, was carefully vague: "There's nothing that I can really share at the moment. He won't be available this week; he went into hospital for another check-up. There is something brewing."

No replacement was called in. "We're beyond the midweek games, we've got enough loose forwards to pick from," Rennie said. Segner travels to Cape Town with the squad before heading home to rehabilitate.

Two in one tackle

In the 37th minute of the first Test, Ethan de Groot and Josh Lord clashed heads while both tackling Springbok No.8 Jasper Wiese. Both were concussed, both are on a 12-day stand-down, and both miss the second Test in Cape Town.

"The two that came off with concussion have been ruled out immediately," Rennie confirmed. "Neither Ethan nor Josh will be available on Saturday."

Cortez Ratima hurt a knee against the Bulls and missed the first Test, though he has stayed with the squad.

The six called in

| Player | Position | From | Replaced | |---|---|---|---| | Bradley Slater | Hooker (uncapped) | Blues / Taranaki | George Bell | | Richie Mo'unga | First five, 56 Tests | Crusaders | Billy Proctor | | Noah Hotham | Halfback, 3 Tests | Crusaders | Ratima cover | | Saula Ma'u | Prop (uncapped) | Highlanders / Otago | Ollie Norris | | Ofa Tu'ungafasi | Prop, 66 Tests | Blues | Ethan de Groot | | Jamie Hannah | Lock, 1 Test | Crusaders | Josh Lord |

Bradley Slater did not wait long, debuting off the bench against the Sharks for 26 minutes.

Saula Ma'u debuted against the Lions. Tongan-born, Auckland Grammar, 58 games for the Highlanders and 40 for Otago, and at 1.93m and 140kg he is not a small man. Rennie: "I want to congratulate Saula on making his All Blacks debut. It will be a special day for him and his family."

Ofa Tu'ungafasi, at 34 and two World Cups deep, had missed all of 2025 with a neck injury. He flew in on the Sunday, landed Monday, and then ran a fever and was withdrawn from the Lions match. Rennie: "he's running a little bit of a fever, and we felt it wouldn't be wise to try and play him." Xavier Numia took the bench spot instead.

Where it leaves them

Five from five, one-nil up in the series, and roughly 40 players standing.

Rennie after the Lions match sounded like a man who had got away with one: "We came through well. A couple of guys that we started with were cramping, but from an injury point of view, it's positive."

One footnote worth making, because it has been reported wrongly elsewhere: Simon Parker was not a call-up. He was in the original 44-man squad and was simply promoted onto the first Test bench when Segner withdrew.

Second Test, Cape Town, Saturday 29 August. Sold out, and two locks short.