Caleb Clarke out of All Blacks tour with injury
- 22 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Wing Caleb Clarke will return from the All Blacks tour of South Africa after suffering a serious shoulder injury.
Scans revealed Clarke damaged a shoulder tendon during the 54-0 win over the Sharks in Durban and will need surgery.
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A timeframe for his return is unclear until after surgery is complete.
All Blacks coach Dave Rennie said an injury replacement won't be called for the 27-year-old.
"We are comfortable with the outside backs cover we have at the moment, so will not be bringing another squad member in to replace Caleb unless further injuries necessitate it.
"We are all feeling for Caleb and really sorry to see his Rugby's Greatest Rivalry tour come to an early end. He's an important member of our group, both on and off-field, so we look forward to him making a full recovery."
Clarke was looking good for first test selection against the Springboks in Johannesburg.
Clarke couldn't hide his disappointment.
"I am gutted to be going home because I've loved my time here so much," he said.
"But I am staying positive and excited about what's ahead, so will make the most of my recovery to make sure I'm at my best when I'm ready to return to rugby."
Clarke is the third All Blacks player ruled out of the tour through injury after hooker George Bell sustained a calf injury in training and centre Billy Proctor injured his shoulder in the tour-opening win over the Stormers.
Those players were replaced by hooker Bradley Slater and first-five Richie Mo'unga respectively.
The All Blacks play the Bulls in Pretoria on Sunday morning NZT
