Ardie Savea Sidelined by Shoulder Injury Following All Blacks Defeat to Springboks
- The 32-year-old loose forward was forced off nine minutes before halftime in Johannesburg.
- We'll work out what it will look like in the next few hours.
- In addition to Savea's injury setback, the All Blacks also face concerns regarding centre Quinn Tupaea.
The 32-year-old loose forward was forced off nine minutes before halftime in Johannesburg. Prior to his departure, Savea had already scored two tries for the All Blacks. His exit enabled the Springboks to gain a decisive tactical dominance that secured the victory and gave South Africa a 2-1 lead in the four-test series, as detailed by Reuters. Coach Dave Rennie addressed the media following the bruising encounter. He confirmed the travel status of his captain during the post-match press conference.
He won’t travel now (to the United States). We’ll work out what it will look like in the next few hours.
Dave Rennie, via Reuters
In addition to Savea’s injury setback, the All Blacks also face concerns regarding centre Quinn Tupaea. Tupaea sustained a knee injury during the match, leaving his availability for the upcoming fixture in doubt, according to Reuters. Both teams were scheduled to depart for the United States early on September 6 aboard a shared charter flight.
Springbok Set-Piece Dominance and Series Context
The loss leaves New Zealand needing a victory in Baltimore to level the series after dropping the last two matches. The All Blacks initially claimed the opening test a fortnight prior, but subsequent defeats have shifted momentum to the reigning world champions. Rennie acknowledged the strength of the opposition after the final whistle. He noted that the Springboks executed their game plan effectively up front and capitalized on New Zealand errors.
https://x.com/MetService/status/2096363459063759114
They are world champions for a reason. Very good up front and they play a bit of footy tonight. We probably made a few errors that allowed them supply and I thought they were a lot stronger than they had been in the first two tests.
Dave Rennie, via Reuters
Despite the 2-1 deficit in the series, Rennie maintained that the margin between the two squads remains narrow.