Rugby: Weepu to join ABs

Piri Weepu will be playing at the Bledisloe Cup test in Melbourne. Photo / Getty Images

The delivery was spot on again for halfback Piri Weepu as he has become a father in time to join the All Blacks for Saturday's Bledisloe Cup rugby test in Melbourne.

Weepu will join the squad in Melbourne on Tuesday after welcoming a daughter to the world in Wellington earlier today.

Arguably the standout player during the All Blacks' 31-17 defeat of South Africa on July 17 in the capital, the 26-year-old had been in doubt for the trans-Tasman trip as he awaited the arrival of his first child.

However, he will now be in Melbourne when the starting 15 are named on Tuesday.

Weepu enjoyed one of the best performances of his 40-test career when replacing Jimmy Cowan as the run-on halfback in the second leg of the Springboks doubleheader.

Blues halfback Alby Mathewson had been on standby if Weepu was delayed in Wellington.

- NZPA