Patrick Tuipulotu has posted a picture of the facial injury he suffered during the All Blacks’ recent win over Argentina that will keep him out of the game for at least six weeks.
The All Blacks lock posted two pictures on his Instagram account today — the first alongside his teammate Pasilio Tosi and the second an X-Ray which clearly shows the damage caused during his team’s 41-24 victory over the Pumas in Cordoba.
“Great week in Argy, gutted about the injury but we keep moving forward,” Tuipulotu commented on his account.
Tuipulotu, 32, is on his way home to Auckland for surgery. Centre Anton Lienert-Brown has also returned home after displaying concussion symptoms after a head clash during the Test for which he also received a yellow card.
Tuipolutu, on in the 55th minute, played the rest of the game despite the injury and was taken to hospital for a check-up afterwards.
“He’s had a tough run,” head coach Scott Robertson said of Tuipulotu yesterday. “When he comes on, he has a great presence and makes great decisions. He carries so strongly and his lineout calling is invaluable. All those things we’ll miss. What a cameo he had at the weekend.”
The Blues skipper has previously been forced to rehabilitate from a broken jaw.
The injuries to Tuipulotu and Lienert-Brown, two key bench players for the All Blacks, will force changes for their second Rugby Championship Test in Buenos Aires on Sunday morning NZT.
A positive for the All Blacks is that prop Tamaiti Williams and No.8 Wallace Sititi are set to return after missing last month’s series against France.
Robertson yesterday said the pair would “not play the full 80”, which suggests they will start the match.
Williams will likely start ahead of Ethan de Groot and Sititi will likely start at the back of the scrum, with Ardie Savea moving back to openside flanker, shifting Du’Plessis Kirifi to the bench.
Both Williams and Sititi will bring a different ball-carrying threat to the pack which performed well in Cordoba, especially in the final quarter when replacement hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho scored two tries from lineout drives.