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Bell's calf strain ends All Blacks tour before it begins, uncapped Slater called up

George Bell has been ruled out of the All Blacks' South Africa tour with a six-to-eight-week calf injury, with uncapped Bradley Slater called up as replacement.

George Bell's South Africa tour is over before it started after the All Blacks hooker suffered a calf strain in training on Sunday. Bell is expected to miss six to eight weeks and will return to New Zealand ahead of Friday's tour opener against the Stormers in Cape Town.

Uncapped Bradley Slater has been called into the squad as his replacement, arriving in Cape Town on Wednesday, which rules him out of the Stormers match.

"We are all gutted for George, to be ruled out of the tour so early," coach Dave Rennie said. "He's had a frustrating past few months with injury so it's a real blow for him to have injured his calf again."

Rennie retains three other hookers in Codie Taylor, Samisoni Taukei'aho and Asafo Aumua. The All Blacks face the Stormers, Sharks, Bulls and Lions in provincial matches before four Tests against the Springboks.

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