All Blacks: Ruben Love to miss rest of the year with ankle injury

All Blacks first five-eighths Ruben Love will miss the rest of the year after requiring surgery on a lingering ankle injury. The 25-year-old initially hurt the ankle in February while training with the Hurricanes and played through the issue before being omitted from the Bledisloe Cup squad, a decision later confirmed by a New Zealand Rugby spokesperson.

Love's absence rules him out of the Bledisloe Cup tests and the European Nations Championship fixtures. Head coach Dave Rennie revealed Love had been battling through pain, leaving Richie Mo'unga and uncapped Josh Jacomb as the specialist fly-half options.