The All Blacks camp has been rocked by a serious injury which will see Billy Proctor miss the remainder of the Greatest Rivalry Tour.
On a post on social media the All Blacks shared:
“Billy Proctor Returning Home
Scans have revealed Billy Proctor has a shoulder blade fracture.
This will not require surgery but will take approximately 10 to 12 weeks of recovery, meaning Billy has been ruled out of the remainder of the tour.
He will return home to NZ later this week.”
Proctor was forced to come off after 45 minutes against the Stormers with the injury and was replaced by Caleb Clarke, who went to the wing, while Rieko Ioane slotted into the centre.
Proctor in an All Black jersey
Proctor made his All Blacks debut in 2024 and has since gone on to play 13 times, scoring three test tries.
This year was a particularly strong year for Proctor, who was crucial to the Hurricanes record-breaking season. Proctor was given the chance to start against Italy in the Rugby Nations Champions, but failed to get a hold on the game in that role. This has come as a surprise as the back line was mostly made up of his fellow Canes, with Jordie Barrett playing in the number 12 shirt beside him.
What next for Dave Rennie?
Rennie will now need to select a replacement for the remainder of the tour as Proctor was key cover for Quinn Tupaea in the 13 jersey and would have been a key part of the midweek team in the coming weeks.
There is an outside possibility that Rennie could name Richie Mo’unga as a replacement utility back as he uses Damian McKenzie and Beauden Barrett as full-back cover as well as number 10 options.
