Highlanders winger Caleb Tangitau has had his hopes of an All Blacks call-up shattered by an Achilles injury that will sideline him until the end of the season.
The hard-running former sevens international has been a standout on the right wing in Super Rugby Pacific this season and looked set to get a call-up for Dave Rennie's test squad for July's Nations Championship squad.
Tangitau slapped the turf in frustration after sustaining the injury late in the loss to the Chiefs on Friday. The Highlanders said on Sunday that scans had confirmed a full rupture of his left Achilles tendon.
The 23-year-old will undergo surgery followed by six to nine months of recuperation, the team said, effectively ruling him out at least until the end of the year.
"It's really disappointing for him, a young winger playing really good rugby, scoring awesome tries," Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph said after Friday's match.
"He's young, so that's on his side, and the surgeons these days are pretty good. So he'll be back."