Injury-plagued Chiefs stripped of their All Blacks

The Hamilton side were stripped of all their All Blacks ahead of the match due to a clash with a national camp.

If you take into account the injuries that have plagued the Chiefs this season the Colin Cooper's team will be without 20 players from their originally contracted 38.

All the New Zealand Super Rugby sides were given instruction to rest their All Blacks from two games ahead of the June series against France.

The Chiefs will be without All Blacks Nathan Harris, Brodie Retallick, Damian McKenzie and Anton Lienert-Brown ahead of the Durban encounter.

This week loose forward Mitch Jacbobson and backline utility Luteru Laulala have been flown over, in a group of 27 which already includes another potential Super Rugby debutant in flanker Matt Matich, and a total of 11 players who didn't even have a contract at season's start.

The Chiefs started their tour with a hard-fought 15-9 win over the Stormers in Cape Town last weekend.

Who the Chiefs are missing v Sharks:

Aidan Ross (ankle)

Kane Hames (concussion/ABs camp)

Mitchell Graham (leg)

Nathan Harris (ABs camp)

Atu Moli (quad hematoma/ABs camp)

Nepo Laulala (arm/ABs camp)

Brodie Retallick (ABs camp)

Fin Hoeata (shoulder)

Dominic Bird (shoulder)

Mitchell Brown (knee)

Lachlan Boshier (appendicitis)

Sam Cane (abdominal/ABs camp)

Mitchell Karpik (concussion)

Taleni Seu (back)

Damian McKenzie (ABs camp)

Tiaan Falcon (hand)

Anton Lienert-Brown (ABs camp)

Regan Verney (groin)

Sam McNicol (concussion)

Tim Nanai-Williams (shoulder)

Source: stuff.co.nz