The All Blacks, humiliated for a second consecutive week by the Springbok may be without hooker Keven Mealamu for their next Tri-Nations test, against Australia in Sydney in three weeks.

Having suffered back-to-back losses - 19-28 in Bloemfontein and 19-31 in Durban - to South Africa, the Kiwis also awoke to the news that Mealamu suffered damage to the pectoral muscle in his chest minutes before the end of the Durban encounter.

He will require a scan upon return to Auckland, and assistant coach Steve Hansen is unsure if the 71-Test veteran will recuperate in time for the Wallabies encounter on August 22.

"Until we get the results for that we are not going to know how severe it is but it looks like he won't be available for a couple of weeks at the very least," Hansen told the media.

"We don't know, it could be longer than that. He's got limited movement in his pec."

Mealamu has been in good form this year and will leave a huge gap, with one-Test hooker Aled de Malmanche likely to act as backup to Andrew Hore.

Flyhalf Stephen Donald suffered a blow to the shoulder, but is expected to recover swiftly from that.

Some players will turn out in club rugby this weekend and others the following weekend to stay in shape during the All Blacks' two-week hiatus.