(Reuters) -New Zealand have suffered a double blow ahead of Friday’s test against top-ranked Ireland with starting hooker Codie Taylor and flyhalf Beauden Barrett ruled out of the Dublin clash due to concussion protocols.
Both All Blacks failed Head Injury Assessments (HIA) after taking knocks in Saturday’s 24-22 win over England at Twickenham.
Coach Scott Robertson has called up replacements to the squad from the All Blacks XV squad, who opened their end-of-season tour with a 38-24 win over Munster in Limerick on Saturday.
Flyhalf Harry Plummer, who won his single cap against Australia in September and scored a try and kicked eight points against the Irish province on Saturday, will cover for Barrett, and uncapped rake Brodie McAlister comes in for Taylor.
Neither is likely to start against Ireland, who the All Blacks knocked out of the World Cup in an epic quarter-final last year.
Damian McKenzie looks set to be restored to the starting flyhalf spot in Dublin and Asafo Aumua should begin the game at hooker with George Bell backing up from the bench.
Robertson said he thought finally winning a close match against England on Saturday would galvanise the team ahead of the meeting with Ireland.
“We need to tidy up that discipline, some execution areas, keep creating, keep being brave, volunteer to play,” he told reporters at Twickenham.
“It’s little, small margins but we’ll certainly have to be better.”
Robertson also thought the leg injury to Tupou Vaa’i that saw the lock replaced at halftime against England was not too serious.
Outside back Ruben Love, who scored two late tries against Japan in New Zealand’s tour opener after spending much of the season on the sidelines with injury, will rejoin the All Blacks squad after playing off the bench against Munster.
All Blacks XV loose forward Christian Lio-Willie has also been promoted to provide back row cover while Dalton Papali’i and Ethan Blackadder continue their rehabilitation from injury at home.
Centre Billy Proctor will return to New Zealand as he and his partner prepare for the arrival of their first child.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk and Nick Mulvenney; editing by Clare Fallon and Peter Rutherford)
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