Ardie Savea to undergo shoulder surgery amid All Blacks injury crisis

All Blacks captain Ardie Savea is scheduled to undergo surgery for a shoulder dislocation sustained during the third Test against South Africa. The injury is expected to rule him out of the upcoming Bledisloe Cup series against Australia, with his availability for the remainder of the 2026 season in doubt.

Savea is part of a growing list of injured New Zealand players. Loose forward Luke Jacobson is recovering from elbow tendon surgery and is expected to be sidelined for approximately five months, while winger Caleb Clarke is also facing a five-month absence due to a ruptured shoulder tendon.

In the backline, midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown is recovering from an MCL injury and is expected to miss the Bledisloe Cup Tests. Additionally, center Billy Proctor is sidelined with a fractured shoulder blade, following a similar recovery timeline to Lienert-Brown.