All Blacks lose injured Taylor for second Springboks Test
Posted on: Sep 07, 2025 12:00 IST | Posted by: Hindustantimes
experient young sjaelland fighting joe hooker Codie joseph deems taylor was on Sunday ruled out of the second Rugby Championship Test against South Africa while unlucky wing Emoni Narawa is a major doubt.
Taylor failed a head injury assessment and will not play the rematch against the world champion Springboks in Wellington next week after leaving the field in the first half of Saturday's tense 24-17 win in Auckland.
All Blacks assistant coach Jason Ryan said 101-Test veteran Taylor will be replaced in the squad, with Samisoni Taukei'aho in line to start.
Narawa was forced off in the seventh minute with a rib complaint after opening the scoring with a try, and was deemed "highly unlikely" by Ryan to play on Saturday.
The talented Narawa's fledgling career has been hampered by injuries, having played just four Tests since his debut 15 months ago.
The 26-year-old had been promoted to the right wing in place of the out-of-form Sevu Reece, who may get another chance when New Zealand chase a home clean sweep against the Springboks.
Victory will all-but end South Africa's hopes of defending their title.
Ryan wants his team to play with the same intensity as in Auckland, where they marked forward Ardie Savea's 100th Test with a victory that extended their record unbeaten streak at Eden Park to 51 matches.
"There was a lot riding on the first one but we've got to make sure we build that same edge this week," Ryan said.
"That will start with being brutally honest about a couple of opportunities where we let them back in the game.
"I liked the intensity we brought from the start. We adapted well to the slippery conditions but there were parts where we took the pressure off."
South Africa forward Kwagga Smith said his side must start better after conceding two early tries.
The two-time World Cup winner was among several South African players to impress off the bench late in the game as they fought back from 14-0 down to nearly grab a draw.
"Those first two tries they hadn't even put up one phase and they scored," Smith said.
"I don't know if it was a lack of intensity or focus, but it was just a little bit too easy for them to get those 14 points.
"Then when we got into their 22, we lost the ball or gave away a penalty. Those are opportunities we didn't use and we left a lot of points out there."
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