Flyhalf Beauden Barrett will be sidelined for four weeks with a right knee injury, joining a growing list of All Blacks who are out of action in the later stages of the Super Rugby competition.
Barrett suffered the injury when his Wellington-based Hurricanes squad played the Christchurch-based Crusaders on Saturday. He said scans Tuesday revealed a grade two tear of the medial collateral ligament.
Barrett told reporters "obviously I'm gutted with the injury, but fortunately it's not season-ending for me."
Aaron Cruden, recently the All Blacks' No. 1 flyhalf, has already been ruled out of this year's rugby World Cup with a more serious knee injury.
Flanker Jerome Kaino and fullback Charles Piutau also suffered injuries Saturday that have ruled them out for the remainder of the Super Rugby season.
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