New Zealand's preparations for their second Test against South Africa have been hit by an illness bug on the eve of their latest clash.
The All Blacks head into Saturday's meeting in Cape Town with a 1-0 lead in the four-Test series after their impressive 33-16 victory at Ellis Park.
But their build-up has been disrupted by a flu-like illness spreading through the squad, with assistant coach Neil Barnes revealing that a number of people have been affected.
Coach confirms illness impact
“We’ve had a fair cop of illness run through the team with a bug that seems to be getting people, a very flu-like thing which is a problem,” Barnes said.
He also revealed that Sam Darry played the full 80 minutes despite being unwell during the All Blacks' midweek win over the Lions.
“I take my hat off to Sam Darry today. He just played 80 minutes and he wasn't very well,” Barnes added after the game.
“For the people on the outside, you just have to understand it's not all beer and skittles when you get over here. You've got to just put up with it and do your best.”
Tour disruptions and team changes
The illness has already affected New Zealand's tour, with prop Ofa Tu’ungafasi forced to withdraw from Tuesday's match against the Lions after becoming unwell and developing a fever.
There is no indication that any of the All Blacks selected for Saturday's Test are currently unavailable because of the bug.
New Zealand head coach Dave Rennie has made three changes to the starting XV that won in Johannesburg, although two are enforced after Ethan de Groot and Josh Lord suffered head injuries in the opening Test.
The All Blacks have also lost Anton Segner to an ankle infection, while George Bell, Caleb Clarke, Ollie Norris and Billy Proctor have left the tour with injuries.
Despite those setbacks, New Zealand can move to a 2-0 series lead with victory in Cape Town.
