Sam Whitelock and Sam Cane are both under injury clouds for the first test. Photo / Photosport
Sam Whitelock and Sam Cane are both under injury clouds for the first test. Photo / Photosport
The first test against France is a little more than two weeks away and while the All Blacks can't be certain that both Sam Whitelock and Sam Cane will be available, they remain confident they will be.
Whitelock, having missed the game last week against the Blues due to feelingsome concussion-like symptoms, has again not been named by the Crusaders for their top of the table clash with the Hurricanes.
The newly appointed All Blacks captain is still not reporting as 100 per cent right and the Crusaders have opted to give him another week off as a result.
His symptoms are believed to be mild but neither the Crusaders nor All Blacks will allow him back on to the field until they are certain he is symptom-free.
Everyone is hopeful that will be the case by next week, but the nature of concussion is such that there is no guarantee. But given he was well enough to train in the early part of last week before being withdrawn, the All Blacks are confident that their captain will be available to play in the first test at Eden Park on June 9.
Cane, like Whitelock, will also not be playing this weekend as he's still being troubled by a minor stomach injury.
He's been with the All Blacks in camp, having extensive treatment and says he isn't overly troubled by the injury but frustrated that after a few weeks, it still hasn't quite fully come right.
And because it hasn't yet sorted itself out, he's reluctant to put a date on his probable return to action. But again, the All Blacks coaches are expecting him to be fit and available to play in the first test.
"There's no real time frame on it," explained Cane. "It feels like it's almost there but it's probably not quite so unfortunately another week."
The flanker is doing his best to avoid rushing back and re-aggravating the injury before the opening test.
"It's hard not to think about those sort of things and try and rush and push it. But I'll do my best to be patient to get it right properly."
Sam Cane has been training with the All Blacks as he works his way back to full fitness. Photo / Photosport
Injuries were the story of last season and they have dominated the narrative in Super Rugby this year, too and the All Blacks are wary that they have a number of players in their probable match day 23 who are short of football.
Owen Franks only returned to play from major Achilles surgery in late April and will miss the next two games due to suspension.
Joe Moody has only managed 50 minutes with the Crusaders due to returning late from shoulder surgery, then a broken finger and now suspension.
Liam Squire has missed most of the Highlanders campaign with a broken thumb and Sonny Bill Williams has only been back for two games having missed seven weeks with a wrist injury.
Ryan Crotty - also out of the Crusaders' clash against the Hurricanes - is another who has endured a disrupted season mostly due to repeat head knock and there has already been a casualty from within the 33-man squad, with Tim Perry having strained his hamstring while in camp on Tuesday.
He has been replaced by Karl Tu'inukuafe, who owes his elevation to the extended injury toll the Chiefs have suffered at prop this year which saw him unexpectedly come into the starting XV as he was signed in a development capacity.
The All Blacks showed last year that they have the depth to cope with an unexpectedly high injury toll, but they would rather not have to and will be a little relieved if and when the news comes through that both Whitelock and Cane are good to go.
There has at least been one cheerier injury update for All Blacks coach Steve Hansen in the last week, which is that Kieran Read is progressing strongly.
"It is getting better than day by day now," said Hansen. "He is starting to train and do things more consistently a lot more pain free. The nerve damage is starting to repair itself and so he is starting to feel there is a little bit if light at the end of the tunnel.
"We just don't want to put a date on it because then we might make the mistake of bringing him back too soon. His body will tell him when he is ready. He will train with us over the next three weeks and then we will sit down with the Crusaders and see how he's travelling and then we will make the next decision."
