All Blacks: Mealamu the likely starter in Republic

Against all pre-tour predictions, Keven Mealamu has probably played his way into the starting rake's jersey this weekend.

Typecast as the No16 after a season in which he struggled to get out of second gear, the 35-year-old Aucklander delivered his best 73 minutes of 2014. And with Dane Coles missing the La Plata test to be at the birth of his son, Mealamu turned back the clock with some rugged ball-carrying and accurate lineout throwing. Nathan Harris made his test debut, given seven minutes as the match wound down.

Coles, who might have expected to regain his position after impressing for most of the season with his coming of age as an All Black, may have to now content himself with coming off the bench in Johannesburg.

He arrived in the Republic only yesterday, and All Black coach Steve Hansen was non-committal when asked who would wear the No16 jersey. His policy has been to not penalise players returning from injury or paternity like Coles, but Mealamu deserves to back up his display.

Lock Brodie Retallick was under an injury cloud after leaving the field after just 53 minutes.

"He got a smack in the back of the head at one of the rucks. He didn't feel a hundy so we took him off. The doc will assess him once we get there and see how he copes with the travel. They'll go through the normal concussion stuff," said Hansen.

"We're only allowed 30 players. At this stage Steven Luatua will cover him and Ryan Crotty is coming over so we can't bring anyone else."

That will mean no call-up for Dominic Bird, in fine form for Canterbury, or Aucklander Patrick Tuipulotu. Jeremy Thrush is an option to start if Retallick is ruled out. Whoever lines up will have Victor Matfield and Eben Etzebeth to contend with.