New Zealand suffer Ryan Crotty and wing Rieko Ioane blows ahead of Auckland encounter

New Zealand will be without the services of centre Ryan Crotty and wing Rieko Ioane for the second round of the Rugby Championship to be played against Australia in Auckland next weekend.

Crotty suffered a concussion and was forced off the field in the 13th minute during the tournament opener in Sydney against the same opposition while Ioane sustained a hamstring injury.

New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen confirmed the news on the duo and said they are also waiting on an update on Vince Aso’s fitness.

“The guy we are pretty keen on is Aso, we are trying to get an update on his about how his wrist is,” said Hansen.

Meanwhile, Australia full-back Israel Folau will also miss the Eden Park encounter after an ankle injury.

New Zealand currently hold the top position in the Rugby Championship table following their 13-38 win over Wallabies in last weekend's encounter and another win in Auckland will see them claim the Bledisloe Cup for the 16th consecutive year.