All Black Holland's shoulder injury another blow for Highlanders

Highlanders' All Black Fabian Holland dislocated his shoulder in a pre-season game against Moana Pasifika in Queenstown at the weekend and will miss the start of the Super Rugby Pacific season.

How long the 23-year-old lock, World Rugby’s breakout player last year, spends on the sidelines remains to be seen.

In an update yesterday, assistant coach Ben Smith said the joint was popped back in shortly after the incident – caused when Holland was cleaned out at a ruck during his team's victory – and that X-Rays had not revealed any fractures.

Holland was outstanding for the All Blacks last year after making his Test debut in Dunedin against France, quickly proving himself to be a hard-working and resilient player alongside skipper Scott Barrett.

It is another blow to a franchise still reeling from the season-ending knee injury to highly promising halfback Dylan Pledger, a 20-year-old yet to play Super Rugby who was almost certain to make an extended All Blacks squad this year had he remained fit.

Pledger ruptured an ACL during training with the Highlanders last month and will be out for the rest of the year.

Holland’s injury comes as Blues and All Blacks lock Patrick Tuipulotu recovers from a shoulder injury of his own.

Tuipulotu, named in the All Blacks’ end-of-year tour squad and then withdrawn due to his latest injury, which required for surgery, is due to return to the game in mid-April.

Barrett is on a non-playing sabbatical which rule keep him out of the Crusaders (and presumably harm’s way) for most of the season ahead of the inaugural Nations Championship in July which features Tests at home against France, Italy and Ireland, and a demanding tour of South Africa in August and September.

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Chiefs pair Tupou Vaa’i and Josh Lord, and Blues lock Sam Darry are the other second-rowers in the All Blacks frame.

The Highlanders, whose head coach Jamie Joseph’s future remains in question due to his presumed application for the All Blacks job vacated by Scott Robertson, kick off their season by hosting the reigning champion Crusaders in Dunedin on Friday night.