Scott Barrett, All Blacks captain, ruled out of France series

New Zealand's team has suffered a setback as captain Scott Barrett has been confirmed unavailable for the remaining two France matches due to a calf tear sustained during the first Test.

Barrett departed the pitch during the 58th minute of New Zealand's 31-27 victory over France in Dunedin on Saturday.

Initially suspected to be an Achilles problem, subsequent scans revealed a calf tear, sidelining Barrett for both the upcoming Wellington Test on Saturday and the final Hamilton match the following week.



The captaincy will transfer to Ardie Savea, the back-row forward who earned the 2023 World Player of the Year title and has displayed exceptional performance for Super Rugby's Moana Pasifika this season.

Assistant coach Scott Hansen acknowledged Barrett's absence as significant, stating they would assess the situation weekly whilst ensuring proper injury management.


Despite his injury, Barrett participated in lineout preparation at Tuesday's training session, showing no visible discomfort and even assisted with equipment cleanup afterwards.

"He's the skip," Hansen noted. "He'd rather be out on the field with his men, but he's been through enough rugby to know these are the challenges that you get."

The team faces additional changes with winger Sevu Reece ruled out following a concussion in Saturday's match. Fabian Holland completed the full match at lock, while Tupou Vaa'i switched from blindside flanker to lock position late in the game.

The second Test team announcement is scheduled for Thursday.