KEY POINTS:
Wellington prop Neemia Tialata will have a final hit-out before boarding the plane for the Rugby World Cup.
Tialata is on the bench for the fifth-round Air New Zealand Cup match against Tasman tonight.
The front rower made the trip south yesterday after playing for the All Blacks in a relaxed practice match in Auckland on Thursday.
He will play the second half off the bench at Westpac Stadium, to give him more game time as he recovers from concussion. Tialata was knocked out by a punch from Hawkes Bay prop Clint Newland on August 4, ruling him out of two more potential matches for Wellington.
"He came through yesterday's game really well and we thought it was too good an opportunity to miss not to give him game time," said All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen.
"Wellington have been great. They've allowed him to come off the bench in the second half."
Hansen said no consideration was given to enabling Greg Somerville to play Canterbury against Manawatu tomorrow, after an eye injury curbed his Air NZ Cup involvement.
Somerville scrummed with the All Blacks for the first time on Thursday since his rehabilitation from an Achilles tendon injury was ruined by a stray Bay of Plenty finger.
Keith Robinson (calf), Andrew Ellis (concussion) and Reuben Thorne (calf) are also progressing well after missing Thursday's session.
The 30-man All Blacks squad will reassemble in Auckland for Wednesday's departure for France.
- NZPA
