By Nick Bewley
Blues flanker Steven Luatua will have surgery on his shoulder, it's just a matter of when.
The 24-year-old has been advised he needs to have an operation after he dislocated his shoulder in the Blues last win of 2015 over the Bulls at Eden Park last month.
But RadioLIVE has learned that the 14 Test All Black is mulling over whether to go under the knife immediately, which would sideline him for the rest of the year, or to play on in the hope of sneaking into Steve Hansen's Rugby World Cup squad this year.
To do the latter would be a bold call. Luatua is on the fringe of All Blacks selection, with the likes of Jerome Kaino, Liam Messam and Victor Vito also in the running for the No.6 jersey.
Kaino's unlikely to occupy the blindside flank when the All Blacks face Samoa in Apia on July 8.
It's understood the regular Blues captain is still a further three weeks away from contact training after a compound dislocation of his finger ended his Super Rugby season six weeks ago.
However, the prognosis is more positive for All Blacks prop Tony Woodcock.
Like Luatua, Woodcock's been battling a shoulder issue in 2015, but he's confident he'll be right for the one-off trip to the Pacific Islands.
Steve Hansen and co. will name an extended 41-man squad for the Samoa test on Sunday.
RadioLIVE
source: newshub archive
