Kieran Read injured for six weeks

Kieran Read has had surgery on a fracture at the base of his right thumb.  He will travel with the Crusaders team to Johannesburg tomorrow before returning to New Zealand.  

Read’s anticipated return to play will not be known until post-surgery assessments are done, however surgery of this sort would generally require approximately 6 weeks of recovery.

Quinten Strange will travel to South Africa to replace Read in the squad.

Read has just returned to the Crusaders line-up following a long injury layoff. All Black supporters will be sweating over the fitness of their captain but if Read is out for 6 weeks we will return in time for the first test against the British and Irish Lions.