The Australia flanker Rocky Elsom will miss Saturday's Tri-Nations return Test against New Zealand in Auckland because of a foot injury.

The New South Wales forward, who will join the Irish province Leinster in September, carried the ligament injury into Saturday's 34-19 victory over the All Blacks in Sydney, in which he scored one of the Wallabies' four tries. Australia's coach, Robbie Deans, said Elsom would be reassessed before the trip to play South Africa in Durban on August 23.

New Zealand's scrum-halves, Andy Ellis and Jimmy Cowan, were also injured at ANZ Stadium. Ellis sustained rib damage scoring the All Blacks' third try and was replaced by Cowan in the 45th minute. Cowan then twisted a knee and limped off, to be replaced by Ellis. Cowan had been cleared to leave the field with a cut lip, though Australia medical staff remonstrated with the referee, Craig Joubert.

"Jimmy had a cut mouth at the same time [as] he had a sore knee. He was bleeding so he came off with a blood injury," the New Zealand assistant coach, Steve Hansen, said yesterday. "There's no issue to it. It's a clear-cut rule that if a player has a bleeding injury and he has to go off he can be replaced by the guy that he's subbed."

Cowan, who had also broken his nose, returned to the field with a heavily strapped left knee. Hansen said neither he nor Ellis were expected to train early this week. Piri Weepu, who was dropped before last year's World Cup, has been called up should Ellis or Cowan be ruled out. New Zealand also called up hooker Hikawera Elliot as cover for Andrew Hore, who injured his hip.

The All Blacks, who have now lost two Tests in a row, will be under pressure at Eden Park. "We've got three games remaining in this Tri-Nations and we've got to turn it around," said Henry.

Deans, the former All Black full-back and Crusaders coach, whom many expected to take over from Henry after New Zealand's failure at last year's World Cup, said he anticipated a tough game on Saturday. "It'll be a different contest," he said. "We'll look at the detail of this one and second-guess each other. But just the context of being in Auckland, the All Blacks won't want to go down again. You've got Richie [McCaw, the New Zealand captain who has been injured] re-entering the fold so it's going to be another notch up again. It's going to be a good encounter."

Australia, unbeaten in two matches, are four points clear of New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations table.