New Zealand lose captain Sam Cane and hooker Dane Coles for autumn tour
- Published
Sam Cane has come in for criticism from New Zealand fans amid their inconsistent form in 2022
Autumn international: Wales v New Zealand |
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Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff Date: Saturday, 5 November Kick-off: 15:15 GMT |
Coverage: Live text, report and reaction on the BBC Sport website and app. |
New Zealand captain Sam Cane and hooker Dane Coles have been ruled out of their autumn tour, which starts against Wales in Cardiff next Saturday.
Cane fractured a cheekbone as the All Blacks struggled in Saturday's 38-31 win over Japan.
Coles is also out of the three-match tour - in which they will face Scotland and England too - after calf problems recurred in the warm-up in Tokyo.
Lock Brodie Retallick was sent off in Tokyo and faces a disciplinary hearing.
The experienced forward was red carded for making contact with a head at a ruck against Japan and will discover his fate at the Tuesday hearing.
In Cane and Coles' absence, New Zealand have called in flanker Billy Harmon and hooker Asafo Aumua.
However, Foster has yet to name a new tour captain, saying: "We've got an answer, but we've got about three different flights and team players all left late last night or early this morning so I haven't had a final conversation with the person.
"I'm just going to reserve that for a day, but it's all sorted."
Cane played on in Tokyo despite realising he had suffered the injury with 10 minutes left.
Hospital tests later confirmed a double fracture around and eye socket
"Without having done my cheekbone before, I knew I had probably done my cheekbone," Cane told allblacks.com.
"I could feel it when I put my hand on my head. And I could feel the blood in my mouth. It was sort of sore but numb at the same time.
"The game was in the balance at that point, and it didn't restrict my ability to play and perform so I was happy to carry on."
New Zealand are already without Will Jordan, Folau Fakatava and Leicester Fainga'anuku through injury and tour withdrawals for the tour that also includes games against Scotland and England.
Wales have not beaten New Zealand since 1953.
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