The All Blacks 36-man squad for the Rugby Championship sees the return of former captain Sam Cane and the electric outside back Will Jordan.

The All Blacks will kick off their Rugby Championship campaign against Argentina in Wellington on August 10, followed by a second match against the same opponent in Auckland on August 17. The All Blacks then head to South Africa to face the Springboks in Johannesburg on September 1 and in Cape Town on September 8.

All Blacks captain Scott Barrett has been named in the squad, but is currently being monitored with a finger injury and Josh Lord has been added as injury cover.

Barrett injured himself during last weekend’s comfortable 47-5 win over Fiji in San Diego last weekend and required “surgical treatment” after his return to New Zealand, All Blacks management said in a statement.

While the injury is being assessed, it is too early to put a timeline on how long the injury will keep Barrett off the field.

All Blacks Squad 

Hookers

Asafo Aumua (27 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 9)

Codie Taylor (33 / Crusaders / Canterbury / 87)

George Bell (22 / Crusaders / Canterbury / 1)

Props

Ethan De Groot (26 / Highlanders / Southland / 25)

Tyrel Lomax (28 / Hurricanes / Tasman / 34)

Fletcher Newell (24 / Crusaders / Canterbury / 16)

Pasilio Tosi (26 / Hurricanes / Bay of Plenty / 1)

Ofa Tu’ungafasi (32 / Blues / Northland / 59)

Tamaiti Williams (23 / Crusaders / Canterbury / 8)

Locks

Scott Barrett (30 / Crusaders / Taranaki / 72) (Captain)

Tupou Vaa’i (24 / Chiefs / Taranaki / 28)

Patrick Tuipulotu (31 / Blues / Auckland / 45)

Sam Darry (24 / Blues / Canterbury / 1)

Loose Forwards

Ethan Blackadder (29 / Crusaders / Tasman / 11)

Sam Cane (32 / Chiefs / Bay of Plenty / 95)

Samipeni Finau (25 / Chiefs / Waikato / 3)

Luke Jacobson (27 / Chiefs / Waikato / 21)

Dalton Papali’i (26 / Blues / Counties Manukau / 34)

Ardie Savea (30 / Moana Pasifika / Wellington / 84) (Vice Captain)

Wallace Sititi (21 / Chiefs / North Harbour / 1)

Halfbacks

Noah Hotham (21 / Crusaders / Tasman / 1)

TJ Perenara (32 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 81)

Cortez Ratima (23 / Chiefs / Waikato / 2)

First five-eighths

Beauden Barrett (33 / Blues / Taranaki / 126)

Damian McKenzie (29 / Chiefs / Waikato / 50)

Midfielders

Jordie Barrett (27 / Hurricanes / Taranaki / 60) (Vice Captain)

David Havili (29 / Crusaders / Tasman / 27)

Rieko Ioane (27 / Blues / Auckland / 71)

Anton Lienert-Brown (29 / Chiefs / Waikato / 73)

Billy Proctor (25 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 1)

Outside backs

Caleb Clarke (25 / Blues / Auckland / 21)

Will Jordan (26 / Crusaders / Tasman / 31)

Ruben Love (23 / Hurricanes / Wellington / 0)*

Stephen Perofeta (27 / Blues / Taranaki / 5)

Sevu Reece (27 / Crusaders / Southland / 26)

Mark Tele’a (27 / Blues / North Harbour/ 11)

INJURY COVER: Josh Lord (23 / Chiefs / Taranaki / 4)