Auckland Blues prop Ofa Tu’ungafasi has been ruled out of the rest of the Super Rugby Pacific season with a neck injury in a further blow for the struggling defending champions.
The 68-test All Black will undergo surgery, the Blues said on Wednesday.
It puts Tu’ungafasi in doubt for New Zealand’s three-test series against France, with the first match starting on July 5.
Dates for the Super Rugby playoffs have yet to be confirmed but the championship-deciding Grand Final will be in the second half of June.
The Vern Cotter-coached Blues are second from bottom in the table with a 1-5 record ahead of a home clash against the seventh-placed Wellington Hurricanes on Saturday.
While Tu’ungafasi will be missed, the Blues have welcomed back reinforcements in the form of playmaker Beauden Barrett and captain Patrick Tuipulotu.
Barrett will start at flyhalf after recovering from a hand injury while lock Tuipulotu slots back into the second row in the match-day squad announced on Wednesday.
Though named in the squad, the pair must still get through heavy contact training on Thursday, Cotter said.
“Hopefully they will come through a big week of effort on the training field, and the team can focus on getting our processes right for a positive performance,” he added.
