All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen today played down Kieran Read's latest injury concern but with a question mark also over Adam Thomson, the loose forward stocks could be a little bare for Sunday's match against Canada.
No 8 Read, set to play his first game of the World Cupagainst the Canadians in Wellington following an ankle injury, threw a new scare into the All Blacks camp yesterday when rolling the joint again in training.
Read limped off the Newtown field and took no further part in the session but Hansen said the Crusaders player would almost definitely be named in the team when it is announced tomorrow morning.
"He's okay, I can reassure you he will be fine and he will be playing,'' Hansen said: "What tends to happen with the injury that he's had is you can roll it pretty easy, he did that yesterday. He got a fright, we all got a fright, but within half an hour it was fine, so we will train him fully tomorrow and play him on Sunday.''
The report on Thomson's knee, injured in the victory over France at Eden Park on Saturday, was not as good.
"Adam's making really good progress and could possibly be right for Sunday so we've got everybody on deck if that's the case so our numbers are fine, we've got good cover with both Ali [Williams] and Sam [Whitelock].''
Both Williams and Whitelock are locks but the Crusaders player is the more mobile and can play on the side of the scrum if necessary. He played there off the bench in Brisbane following Read's injury in that test and has a background in the position with Canterbury and the Crusaders.
Hansen said the limited part captain Richie McCaw has played in training this week wasn't unusual.
"He started pretty quietly, he had a big game against the French and opensides tend to get knocked around a bit more than others, but his workload's been what you'd expect after such a big test.''
Hansen said the core of the All Blacks who played the French will take on the Canadians. Victor Vito is in the mix alongside Jerome Kaino, McCaw and Read to start in the loose forward trio if Thomson is ruled out.
Wing Cory Jane is unlikely to be available following his head knock and Richard Kahui won't take the field due to a hamstring strain.
