New Zealand captain Ardie Savea has been ruled out of the fourth Test against South Africa with a shoulder injury.
Savea was forced off just half-an-hour in to the third Test in Johannesburg after coming up in serious pain following a clearout from Jasper Wiese.
The No 8 struggled to hold his right arm up and was pictured in a sling after a 29-24 defeat.
Savea had scored twice in an excellent start to the game, and his absence is a major blow to Dave Rennie as the All Blacks seek to draw the series with victory in Baltimore next Saturday.
“Yes, [it’s a] shoulder injury,” Rennie confirmed. “Not sure if it’s dislocated, but he certainly won’t be travelling to the States.
“Oh, yeah, I think he [Savea] was massive, wasn’t he? But you know, Wallace Sititi came on and played well.”
A back row reshuffle will be required with flanker Luke Jacobson another to have suffered an elbow issue in a bruising third Test.
Outside centre Quinn Tupaea is also set to miss that game with a knee injury.
The two sides conclude their Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry itinerary with the fourth Test at M&T Bank Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, on Saturday evening.
Springboks wing Cheslin Kolbe has broken his jaw and will not make the trip, but all of Grant Williams, Damian Willemse and Canan Moodie are back in contention.
