Rugby: Injuries key to picking All Blacks to tour

Keven Mealamu. Photo / Getty Images

Medical tests and intuition will be crucial selection components before the All Black touring squad is announced on Sunday.

The coaches want to take a shadow World Cup squad on the five-test trip but that aim has to be balanced against an expanding list of injured players.

Some like Andrew Hore and Sitiveni Sivivatu are about to return from long-term injuries, others like Daniel Carter, Keven Mealamu, Rene Ranger and Israel Dagg are overcoming recent damage while the selectors will be looking anxiously at any further problems in this weekend's round of the ITM Cup.

Mealamu was due to test his calf injury this weekend with Auckland but the hooker has been withdrawn because Corey Flynn has torn a calf muscle while Hore's return is still marginal.

When Aled de Malmanche hurt his adductor muscle as well, the All Black selectors decided Mealamu had to be protected before they begin their tour with a test against the Wallabies in Hong Kong on October 30.

Three other All Blacks, Piri Weepu, Cory Jane and Jerome Kaino, were also keen to play this weekend but are on a sponsorship visit to Melbourne.

Possible backup John Afoa played hooker for Auckland B at the weekend with mixed reports about his lineout throwing. He will prop for Auckland on Sunday against Otago but may get a chance to throw into the lineouts for the last quarter of the match.

The squad will be announced at Eden Park after that game and a few in the squad may be picked subject to proving their fitness in the ITM Cup in the following fortnight.

That caveat may apply to Hore, who had a shoulder reconstruction mid-year, returned to training with Taranaki last week and has been asked to play if he wants to go on tour. He could start the last round of the ITM Cup and perhaps a semifinal while the All Blacks play their Hong Kong test.

Carter and Sivivatu may get the same leeway with optimistic reports they might be fit to resume some rugby next week.

Hore has a final check with the surgeon this week, while team doctor Deb Robinson is monitoring Carter's progress at Canterbury training and will travel to Wellington this week to assess others like Ranger, Dagg and Sivivatu.

"In the old days we used to have a camp the week beforehand and then disband and that helped me assess players but this time we are doing it differently," said Robinson.

"But the long-term injured and those who have suffered some recent troubles will all be checked to see where they are at."

Carter was running but needed to strengthen his calf muscle, which had been underused since his ankle surgery.

"I don't think we will have a really good gauge on what he is able to do from a game-related point of view, for about another week. This time next week we will know when he can play some footy. He will be right to play at some stage, it is a question of when. He is week seven today and we always said it would be between six and eight weeks' recovery."

Another returning from a long absence after knee surgery is Jason Eaton, who has played two games for Taranaki B, while fellow lock Ali Williams has started running as his return continues after several Achilles tendon operations.