All Blacks captain Scott Barrett has been ruled out for the next five months after suffering a back injury which will require surgery.
The Crusaders forward will go under the knife to correct a troublesome issue he picked after returning to training following a non-playing sabbatical.
Barrett decided to take a break and miss the majority of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season in order to correct ankle and Achilles problems.
Barrett out until October
He intended to be back in the mix ahead of the inaugural Nations Championship, where the All Blacks will face France, Italy and Ireland.
However,
