Last chance for All Blacks tour hopefuls

Wellington have been boosted by the surprise return of All Black halfback Piri Weepu. Photo / Getty Images

The All Blacks make their last tangible contribution to the provincial rugby competition this weekend, while fringe selections for their end of year tour have a final chance to impress.

But personal ambitions aside, from a team perspective the 12th and penultimate round of the Air NZ Cup regular season witnesses a tightening of the semifinal race.

With defending champions Canterbury seven points clear, five chasers are effectively vying for three positions.

Last year's runners-up Wellington are currently third and will fancy their run home - a process which starts on Saturday against North Harbour who have found a semblance of form too late.

With 34 points already banked, Wellington should anticipate at least eight more from matches against Harbour and Tasman whose campaign has also faltered.

Wellington have improved since meekly surrendering the Ranfurly Shield in round five and are boosted by the return of halfback Piri Weepu from an ankle injury as he bids to prove his fitness for the All Black trip.

New Zealand's premier loosehead prop Tony Woodcock is back from his meat marketing exercise in the UK, though Harbour's hopes have been diminished by Luke McAlister's campaign-ending ankle injury.

However, the injury is not as bad as first feared so he could be named in Grahan Henry's 33-man squad on Sunday morning.

Harbour are among a clutch of provinces playing for pride in the guise of spoilers for the remainder of the round robin.

Taranaki and Northland are in the same bracket and have the same capacity to inflict harm when travelling to Invercargill and Hamilton respectively. But it is unlikely Counties-Manukau can sever sixth-placed Auckland's lifeline when the neighbours meet at Eden Park on Sunday.

Mindful of taking on Canterbury for the Shield next week - albeit minus their All Black contingent - Southland must quell Taranaki's resistance tomorrow night to tighten their grip on a semifinal spot.

They are fourth on 33 points with Waikato, on 31, and Auckland, 30, well within range - though these two rivals could kill each other off in next weekend's clash in Hamilton.

Auckland's first priority is maximum points against Counties- Manukau, then a successful trip to Waikato Stadium while hoping Southland slip up at least once.

Waikato look to be timing their run nicely after a sluggish start to the season saw the inaugural Air NZ Cup champions drop three of their first four games.

Since plumbing the depths when drubbed 23-9 by Tasman in round seven, Waikato have strung together four wins on the bounce.

Fullback Sosene Anesi, who racks up his 75th appearance this week, was happy with how a young team had gradually gelled, though Northland would be no formality.

"We still have to nail it this week, get four points first and try to get a bonus point.

"Northland will try and knock us out of it. Otago were out of the competition last week and they still came out and almost beat us," he said.

A Canterbury victory in Napier would cement top spot, allowing them to focus on locking the Log o' Wood away for the summer; but if second-placed Hawke's Bay, 35, prevailed tonight they should have dibs on a home semi with only Northland to follow.

Manawatu and Bay of Plenty play the other game tomorrow night, with nothing other than pride resting on the outcome.

The focus, particularly for Manawatu, is now on avoiding the NZRU axe.

Seventh-placed Tasman, also in line for the chop, need maximum points from Otago at Carisbrook on Saturday to keep their faint mathematical hopes alive.

Well-travelled former All Black prop Kees Meeuws makes his 50th appearance for Otago, 12 years after his debut.

- NZPA