New Zealand Kiwis head coach Michael Maguire has dropped first string hooker Brandon Smith for “failing to meet standards” just hours before the Kiwis take the field to face the touring Great Britain Lions.
Maguire also dropped long-term halfback Shaun Johnson during the week.
These changes in key positions could be a reaction to New Zealand’s 26-4 loss against Australia last Friday, and with the Kiwis going up against a Great Britain side full of players that beat them twice last year in New Zealand’s tour of England, Mage will be looking to field a side that is ready to take on the Lions.