All Blacks: Boric eyes return to fitness and form

All Blacks World Cup squad member Anthony Boric. Photo / Getty Images

For much of the past two months, Anthony Boric thought the only appearance he might make on TV on September 9 would be a cameo in Shortland Street.

But he now has a chance to appear on screen later that night when the All Blacks open the World Cup.

Boric was yesterday named in the 30-man All Blacks squad to contest the World Cup but still needs to prove his fitness on Friday when he plays for North Harbour against Wellington in an ITM Cup match.

Boric suffered a troubling foot injury late in the Blues' Super Rugby campaign _ a similar injury to the one that sidelined prop Tony Woodcock for most of the year _ and has spent most of the time since hoping it would come right in time to feature at the World Cup.

His Shortland St debut is timed to screen the same night as the World Cup opener against Tonga. In it, he and team-mates Jerome Kaino and Keven Mealamu lift a doctor's car blocking another car.

"It's not going to be good,'' Boric said. "It comes out on the day of the first World Cup game. Hopefully I will be playing so I won't see it.''

A lot more people will tune in for the rugby. Boric acknowledges his chances of playing against Tonga are slim, given he rates himself No 4 in the locking stocks behind Brad Thorn, Sam Whitelock and Ali Williams.

Earlier in the season, however, he was one of the form players and many would have rated him ahead of the returning Williams. He was also excellent on last year's end-of-year tour and combines equal doses of abrasiveness and athleticism.

It was a tough call on Jarred Hoeata, who played in Boric's absence but missed out on the World Cup squad, but Boric offers a lot more.

The 27-year-old knows he needs to quickly get up to speed. He will play 40 minutes for Harbour on Friday night and was hopeful of gaining extra match fitness by playing for Harbour's B side before the World Cup kicked off. This could be jettisoned by the All Blacks coaches, who might have other ideas, but Boric wants to make up for lost time.

"I have to get back into some form and try and earn a spot in that team somehow,'' he said. "I will be doing everything I can. I have been working harder than ever and getting strong in the gym. Hopefully I can get back to the sort of form I had in the Super 15.

"It's been a frustrating couple of months being injured and not knowing if I was going to make it or not. But hearing your name is awesome and I'm just looking forward to getting out there and putting on that black jersey.

"It's a dream to play a World Cup in your back yard.''

Boric missed the call from coach Graham Henry on Sunday telling him he had made the squad. He was at a family dinner and had expected to hear the news on Monday or Tuesday.

He doesn't, however, want to miss his chance in the next two months.