All Blacks halfback TJ Perenara is in a race against time to make next year's Rugby World Cup, after rupturing his Achilles tendon against England.
Perenara came off the bench in the draw at Twickenham - his second test in the black jersey of the season, after earning a recall to coach Ian Foster's northern tour squad.
But Foster has revealed the Hurricanes halfback will miss nine months, after pulling up short near the end of the test, and is expected to miss the Super Rugby Pacific competition next year.
"TJ has ruptured his Achilles," he said. "We're gutted for him.
"It's the 78th minute and he's innocuously gone to chase a kick, and it's gone bang, which hurts."
With fellow halfback Folau Fakatava still nursing his ACL injury, the position of Aaron Smith's backup is still very much up for grabs.
Both Brad Weber and Finlay Christie have featured for the All Blacks this year, but have yet to cement their spot as a bench option.
Perenara, 30, flirted with switching to rugby league, after playing a season of club rugby in Japan two years ago and appeared to have fallen behind Christie, Fakatava and Weber, before forcing his way back into contention with his outstanding NPC form for champions Wellington.
