Ardie Savea will miss the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry finale against the Springboks in Baltimore after suffering a shoulder injury in the All Blacks' 29-24 defeat in Soweto, head coach Dave Rennie has confirmed.
"It's a shoulder," said Rennie. "I'm not sure if it's a dislocation or not, but he certainly won't be travelling to the States."
Savea had already sat out the opening block of the series before returning for the Soweto Test, making his absence from Test Four a significant blow to an All Blacks squad already depleted by the losses of Caleb Clarke, George Bell, Anton Segner and Billy Proctor during the South Africa leg of the tour.
With Savea out, the captaincy for Baltimore remains unresolved. Luke Jacobson led the side after Savea went off in Soweto and had previously skippered the team against the Sharks. Patrick Tuipulotu captained the tour matches against the Stormers and Lions, Codie Taylor led the side against the Bulls, and Jordie Barrett is also considered a potential option.
Quinn Tupaea is a further concern after being withdrawn from the Soweto Test with what appeared to be a knee injury. Rennie said the in-game report indicated an MCL issue but added that Tupaea's availability for Baltimore has yet to be determined. "He actually wanted to get up and run, but we ended up making a call. I'm not sure of the severity of it or whether it affects him going to America or not."