New Zealand will be without hooker Andrew Hore for their Tests against Ireland and Wales in June after he dislocated his shoulder.
All Blacks hooker missing from Tests due to shoulder injury
New Zealand will be without hooker Andrew Hore for their Tests against Ireland and Wales in June after he dislocated his shoulder.
Hore suffered the injury during the Hurricanes' 32-16 Super 14 defeat against the Waratahs.
Hore was forced from the field in the 22nd minute at the Sydney Football Stadium on Friday and is facing at least six weeks on the sidelines, although it is possible he could miss the whole of the international season.
The best-case scenario of six weeks would see the 31-year-old, who started 11 of the 14 Tests last year, be available for the Tri Nations campaign against Australia and South Africa.
Blow
"The medical staff were saying it could be six weeks or it could be six months," said Colin Cooper, who bowed out as Hurricanes coach after the defeat. "I'm not sure how bad it is to put a number on it."
Hore's injury will be a blow to All Blacks coach Graham Henry, who is already without leading players Ali Williams (Achilles) and Sitiveni Sivivatu (shoulder) for the year because of injury.
Full-back Mils Muliaina is recovering from a broken thumb, while last year's All Blacks squad members Corey Flynn, Tom Donnelly, Jason Eaton and Mike Delany are also injured.
Blues hooker Keven Mealamu looks set to be the regular starter in the New Zealand front row with Chiefs pair Hika Elliot and Aled de Malmanche battling it out as his back-up.
"He's pretty determined to be an All Black again and hopefully take part in the World Cup," added Cooper of Hore. "He's certainly got the character and resilience to come back."
