All Blacks Rugby World Cup squad announcement: Live Q and A

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen. Photosport

Live updates in the lead-up to the All Blacks' Rugby World Cup squad announcement at midday.

The 31-man squad for the tournament in Japan will be unveiled at 12pm at Eden Park, the scene of the side's 2011 triumph.

The All Blacks have one more warmup match - against Tonga in Hamilton on 7 September - before jetting off to Japan for the Rugby World Cup.

The big talking points leading up to the announcement has been the availability of Brodie Retallick and Liam Squire.

According to Stuff, Squire, who had ruled himself out of consideration for the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup this year, has given head coach Steve Hansen the green light to pick him.

Now the onus will be on Hansen to select Squire in his 31- player squad. If he does so, another big decision will be who to leave out, with Jackson Hemopo perhaps the most vulnerable given his similarity to his Highlanders teammate.

Squire's form last year was badly affected by injury, and this year he ruled himself out of the Highlanders' trip to South Africa due to what were described as personal reasons.

But he has played well for Tasman in this season's Mitre 10 Cup and would provide a valuable alternative to Ardie Savea on the blindside flank or skipper Kieran Read at No8.

Hansen never closed the door on a return for Squire, 28, despite his unavailability and the fact the player is leaving to play for a Japanese club next year.

Hansen will presumably take at face value Squire's assurance that he is capable of spending up to eight weeks at a high-pressure tournament in Japan. Now the ball is back in the head coach's court.

Retallick, who dislocated his shoulder in last month's draw against the Springboks, managed to escape significant damage but has still been in a rush against time to get fit for the World Cup.

The All Black lock trained with the team before the 36-0 thrashing of the Wallabies at Eden Park.