Kieran Read is expected to be fit to play in next week's test against France but lock Dominic Bird's All Blacks ambitions will need to be put on hold after news he will need shoulder surgery that will put him out of the remainder of the Super Rugby competition.
Read suffered a minor head knock in the Crusaders' 23-22 defeat of the Waratahs in Christchurch last night and an assessment this morning concluded he should be fine to face France at Eden Park next weekend.
Bird, however, ruptured his left pectoralis major tendon and will require surgery later this week.
It's a blow to the 22-year-old who had been included in the All Blacks wider training group and was vying with Jeremy Thrush to be the third All Blacks lock for the French series following Ali Williams' international retirement and Sam Whitelock's finger injury.
Crusaders hooker Corey Flynn also suffered a further hamstring injury in the match.
