Hurricanes captain Brad Shield reportedly turned down an All Blacks call-up because he is joining English club side Wasps and wants to play test rugby for England.
Brad Shield playing for the Barbarians against the Springboks in 2016 Photo: Photosport
English newspaper The Daily Telegraph are reporting the All Blacks are "furious" about Shields' rejecting a chance to play against France in favour of a move which could see him playing for England at the 2019 World Cup.
It is believed Shields has not had direct contact with or been given any guarantee by England but had received signifcant encouragement to snub the offer to play for the world champions in Paris last weekend.
Shields qualifies for England through his parents and, if he does confirm a move to London-side Wasps, could be playing for the Eddie Jones-coached team next year.
While he is yet to play at test level, Shields has been widely considered a future All Black and was part of the 2011 world champion New Zealand under-20 squad which also included Beauden Barrett, Charles Piutau, Sam Cane, Brodie Retallick and Codie Taylor.
The 26-year-old can play in any of the three loose-forward roles and has plenty of experience having been part of the Wellington set-up since 2010 and the Hurricanes since 2012.
Shields, whose contract with the Hurricances ends next year, has a strong all-round game and could challenge England's incumbent blindside flanker Chris Robshaw for the No 6 jersey if he does venture to the UK.
