All Blacks: Team thin on the outside

Cory Jane posted this picture of his finger on Twitter. Photo / Supplied

The All Black selectors will decide today whether to bring in an extra player after Cory Jane dislocated his finger playing for Wellington against Taranaki.

Jane was one of three outside backs named as injury cover, with Sitiveni Sivivatu and Ben Smith.

Jane mangled his finger when attempting to tackle Kurt Baker on Saturday night. The ring finger of his left hand got caught in Baker's jersey.

"Damn it ... bone came out of my finger," Jane tweeted on the short journey to Taranaki Base Hospital. A serious dislocation was later confirmed.

Yesterday he posted a picture of the patch-up job on his compound dislocation, with the self-evident statement: "[Very] sore now."

Later he would say: "Okay, surely that is my bad luck for the year done."

That leaves the All Blacks with an injury crisis in what is generally considered the least attritional positions on the field - fullback and the three-quarters.

Israel Dagg (thigh) and Isaia Toeava (hip) are still recovering from long-term injuries and Hurricanes' wing Hosea Gear was selected despite a hamstring injury.

Last week, Chiefs centre Richard Kahui, who was selected in part because he can also play on the wing, succumbed to a hamstring injury and will miss the best part of a month.

Of the outside backs that were named on July 10, either in the 30-man squad or the injury cover, only Sitiveni Sivivatu, Ben Smith, Zac Guildford and Mils Muliaina remain standing.

Last week assistant coach Wayne Smith said Kahui would not be replaced. Jane's injury might change that thinking.

One All Black on the mend is Canterbury first five-eighths Colin Slade. He had 50 minutes in yesterday's win over Auckland. Although he did not kick goals and was protecting a groin strain, coach Rob Penney thought he came through the game in good shape.

"That was always the plan [to take him off]," Penney said. "The All Blacks asked if we'd pull him off. His defence was strong on the inside channel, which is often unrecognised.

"He unleashed us on the outside a couple of times with his wonderful passing skills. He's going into [the] All Black environment in really good shape."