By SABC Sport
1st July 2023
All Blacks selectors have made two injury-enforced changes to their squad for next weekend's Test against Argentina in Mendoza.
Chiefs utility back Shaun Stevenson and Hurricanes front-row Tevita Mafile'o have been promoted to the squad on Sunday after Crusaders duo Leicester Fainga'anuku and Will Jordan were forced to withdraw.
Fainga'anuku, who is joining Top 14 outfit Toulon after the World Cup in France later this year, is struggling with a calf injury while Jordan is managing an ongoing "migrainous condition".
Jordan missed most of the Crusaders' Super Rugby Pacific campaign due to his migraine-related illness and only made his first appearance for the Christchurch-based outfit during their Round 11 victory at home against the Western Force on May 6.
Prior to that, the 25-year-old was out of action since the All Blacks' last match of the 2022 Rugby Championship, against the Wallabies at Eden Park in Auckland last September.
"Will has been going really well, but in order to make sure he keeps tracking that way, we've decided to withdraw him from the long-haul trip to Argentina," said Foster.
"This is more of a precautionary measure that we've put in place with the bigger picture of 2023 in mind."
Jordan and Fainga'anuku's absence opens the door for Stevenson to make his Test debut after he shone for the Chiefs during their run to the Super Rugby Pacific final - which they lost to the Crusaders - while Mafile'o has been added to the squad as cover for Crusaders prop Fletcher Newell, who sustained a foot injury earlier this season.