All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie says he expects Cam Roigard, Will Jordan and Damian McKenzie to be available for the first Test of the Greatest Rivalry Series at Ellis Park next Saturday, despite an injury-disrupted tour build-up.
Rennie provided the update after New Zealand's 50-19 win over the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday — their third victory of the South African leg, following wins over the Stormers (38-21) and the Sharks (54-0).
The All Blacks have already lost three players to serious injury, with George Bell, Billy Proctor and Caleb Clarke all sent home. Roigard, Jordan and McKenzie remain under assessment but Rennie is broadly optimistic.
"They're both well," Rennie said of Roigard and Jordan. "Cam got through a bit of training yesterday. We're pretty confident they are going to be alright by next week. Both of them, we want them to have a full week of training, but they've certainly ticked enough boxes."
McKenzie is the less certain of the three. "Damian is the other one who we are probably less confident about, but we still think he has a good chance to play on the weekend. The expectation is that all three of those guys will be available."
From the Bulls match itself, Rennie confirmed Xavier Numia was withdrawn at halftime with a stiff Achilles, while Cortez Ratima took a knock to the knee, though neither is considered a serious concern. Codie Taylor's halftime exit was planned.