All Blacks v Australia: George Bridge ruled out of rugby for six months

All Blacks wing George Bridge is out of the second Bledisloe Cup test against the Wallabies – and all rugby for an estimated six months – after suffering a chest injury at training.

The All Blacks camp tweeted on Thursday night that the injury had happened during “field training” on Wednesday, though details were scant.

“George Bridge will be out of rugby for up to six months after suffering a chest injury in field training yesterday. He’ll be assessed over the next 48 hours to determine the next course of action,” the tweet said.

It is understood Bridge injured a pectoral muscle.

Bridge played for all of the first test in Wellington on Sunday, the left wing playing a pivotal role in halfback Aaron Smith’s try.

His absence gives exciting Auckland wing Caleb Clarke a great chance of earning a start when the All Blacks team is named on Friday morning for the second test at Auckland’s Eden Park on Sunday.

Twenty-one year old Clarke took the field in the second half of the first test, and impressed with his enterprise and speed.