Crusaders duo to miss All Blacks' Rugby Championship opener

Leicester Fainga'anuku and Will Jordan have withdrawn from New Zealand's Rugby Championship opener against Argentina in Mendoza next week due to injury, the All Blacks said on Saturday.

The Canterbury Crusaders duo have been replaced by Waikato Chiefs' outside back Shaun Stevenson and Wellington Hurricanes' prop Tevita Mafileo.

The squad is due to depart on Sunday.

Fainga'anuku, who finished the Super Rugby Pacific season as the competition's leading try scorer, has pulled out due to a calf injury. Jordan is dealing with a migraine-related condition.

"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 All Blacks coach Ian Foster.

"This is more of a precautionary measure that we've put in place with the bigger picture of 2023 in mind."