The All Blacks have suffered another setback on their Greatest Rivalry tour of South Africa after it was confirmed that Billy Proctor sustained a serious injury in Friday’s 38-21 win over the Stormers in Cape Town.
The 27-year-old started at outside centre in that encounter at the DHL Stadium but was forced off early in the second half due to a shoulder injury with Caleb Clarke coming on to replace him.
New Zealand were holding a 14-7 lead at the time and after the match their head coach Dave Rennie revealed that they were still in the dark about the severity of the injury.
“It looks like a shoulder injury,” he revealed. “There are some other guys with bumps and bruises too. We will have to see.”
Proctor’s tour officially over
However, on Sunday a statement on the All Blacks’ official Facebook page confirmed that Proctor‘s participation in the men in black’s Greatest Rivalry tour of South Africa is over.
“Scans have revealed Billy Proctor has a shoulder blade fracture,” read the statement. “This will not require surgery but will take approximately 10 to 12 weeks of recovery, meaning Billy has been ruled out of the remainder of the tour.
“He will return home to NZ later this week.”
Friday’s clash with the Stormers was Proctor’s first outing in a non-Test match for the All Blacks after he made 13 appearances in the international arena since his debut for his country against Fiji in San Diego in 2024.
The Hurricanes midfielder’s last Test appearance for New Zealand was against Italy in a Nations Championship clash in Wellington last month.
Proctor is the second member of the All Blacks’ 44-man squad who will depart their South African tour after Crusaders hooker George Bell also returned to New Zealand last week.
This, after he sustained a calf injury during a training session in Cape Town last Sunday.
Replacement not named yet
The All Blacks have not revealed who will replace Proctor in their squad yet. Experienced fly-half Richie Mo’unga and hybrid player Du’Plessis Kirifi are players who could take Proctor’s place in the squad.
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Mo’unga became eligible for an All Blacks recall after scoring the match-winning try for Canterbury in their 38-31 National Provincial Championship (NPC) triumph over Auckland last weekend.
The 32-year-old also helped Canterbury to reclaim the Ranfurly Shield courtesy of a narrow 19-15 victory over Otago at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Kirifi, who usually plays on the openside flank, was a shock omission from the All Blacks squad for their South African tour.
On Saturday, Kirifi showed off his versatility when he impressed at inside centre for Wellington during their 34-31 NPC defeat against Auckland at Western Springs.
The All Blacks are set to face the Sharks in their second Greatest Rivalry tour match in Durban on Tuesday.