Injury has ruled out All Blacks backs Will Jordan and Leicester Fainga'anuku from their opening Rugby Championship Test against Argentina, coach Ian Foster said Saturday.
The pair will not fly to Mendoza for the Test against the Pumas on July 8, with Fainga'anuku nursing a calf injury and Jordan managing what medical staff called a "migrainous condition".
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Both players started in last week's Super Rugby Pacific final for the champion Crusaders.
Chiefs outside back Shaun Stevenson and Hurricanes prop Tevita Mafile'o will fly out with the 36-man squad on Sunday as replacements.
Foster said Jordan's omission was precautionary after the speedy fullback spent seven months on the sidelines recovering from an inner ear problem that causes vertigo.
The 25-year-old, who has scored 21 tries from 21 Tests, impressed with his form for the Crusaders when he returned to the field in May.
"Will has been going really well, but in order to make sure he keeps tracking that way, we've decided to withdraw him from the long-haul trip to Argentina," Foster said.
"This is more of a precautionary measure that we've put in place with the bigger picture of 2023 in mind."
Fainga'anuku was Super Rugby Pacific's leading try-scorer this season, with 13.
Hookers
Codie Taylor (32, Crusaders / Canterbury, 76)
Dane Coles (36, Hurricanes / Wellington, 84)
Samisoni Taukei’aho (25, Chiefs / Waikato, 24)
Props
Ethan de Groot (24, Highlanders / Southland, 13)
Fletcher Newell (23, Crusaders / Canterbury, 6)
Nepo Laulala (31, Blues / Counties Manukau, 45)
Ofa Tu’ungafasi (31, Blues / Northland, 50)
Tamaiti Williams (22, Crusaders / Canterbury) *
Tyrel Lomax (27, Hurricanes / Tasman, 23)
Tevita Mafile'o (25, Hurricanes / Bay of Plenty) *
Locks
Brodie Retallick (32, Chiefs / Hawkes Bay, 100)
Josh Lord (22, Chiefs / Taranaki, 2)
Samuel Whitelock (34, Crusaders / Canterbury, 143)
Scott Barrett (29, Crusaders / Taranaki, 58)
Tupou Vaa’i (23, Chiefs / Taranaki, 18)
Loose forwards
Ardie Savea (29, Hurricanes / Wellington, 70)
Dalton Papali’i (25, Blues / Counties Manukau, 22)
Luke Jacobson (26, Chiefs / Waikato, 12)
Sam Cane (captain) (31, Chiefs / Bay of Plenty, 86)
Samipeni Finau (24, Chiefs / Waikato) *
Shannon Frizell (29, Highlanders / Tasman, 25)
Halfbacks
Aaron Smith (34, Highlanders / Manawatu, 114)
Finlay Christie (27, Blues / Tasman, 14)
Cam Roigard (22, Hurricanes / Counties Manukau) * First-five eighths
Beauden Barrett (32, Blues / Taranaki, 112)
Damian McKenzie (28, Chiefs / Waikato, 40)
Richie Mo’unga (29, Crusaders / Canterbury, 44)
Midfielders
Anton Lienert-Brown (28, Chiefs / Waikato, 60)
Jordie Barrett (26, Hurricanes / Taranaki, 48)
Rieko Ioane (26, Blues / Auckland, 59)
Braydon Ennor (25, Crusaders / Canterbury, 6)
Dallas McLeod (24, Crusaders / Canterbury) *
Outside backs
Caleb Clarke (24, Blues / Auckland, 15)
Emoni Narawa (23, Chiefs / Bay of Plenty) *
Shaun Stevenson (26, Chiefs / Waikato) *
Mark Telea (26, Blues / North Harbour, 2)
