The Māori All Blacks will take the field again without 57 test former All Black prop Joe Moody (Ngāi Tahu) and debutant Daniel Rona (Te Atiawa) in their second clash with Japan XV.
Moody, the former All Black prop tore his left calf muscle during Saturday’s warm-up ahead of the first match, leaving Ollie Norris (Ngāpuhi) to start.
Backs Coach, Roger Randell says the injury has been a hard pill to swallow for Moody and the squad.
“It’s devastating. It’s been ten years that he has represented his whānau, hapū, and iwi here in the Māori team.”
“He’s someone with 50 odd tests and 100 Super Rugby games, he’s hard to replace.”
Midfielder Daniel Rona suffered a concussion in the opening minutes of his debut for the Māori All Blacks and later failed the head injury assessment.
A whakawātea was held in the Māori All Blacks camp on Monday night after the decision was made to send both players home to Aotearoa.
Blues reserve hooker Mason Tupaea, whose older brother is Quinn Tupaea, has joined the team in Japan as front-row cover.
Mason’s stoked his brother the call-up.
“I knew he was on the waitlist to come over. Guttered for Joe Moody, but awesome to have my little brother here for his first taste of international footy” he said.
Daniel Rona won’t be replaced, with the Māori All Blacks saying they’ve got sufficient backs coverage.
The Māori All Blacks raced away to a 36-10 victory over Japan XV in “oppressively hot” conditions in Tokyo on Saturday evening (NZT) in the first of two games across Matariki.
Despite the scoreline, Japan had the first and last word, scoring the opening and closing tries of an entertaining match at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in central Tokyo.
The team takes on Japan XV in Toyota this Saturday.