KEY POINTS:
Wellington prop Neemia Tialata will have a final hit out before boarding the plane for the rugby World Cup.
Tialata is on bench for Wellington side for the fifth round Air New Zealand Cup match against Tasman tomorrow evening.
The front rower made the trip south today 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, in a bid to give him more game time as he recovers from concussion.
Tialata was knocked out by a punch from Hawke's 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 there was no consideration given to enabling Greg Somerville to turn out for Canterbury against Manawatu on Sunday, after his Air NZ Cup involvement was curbed by an eye injury.
Somerville scrummed with the All Blacks for the first time yesterday since his provincial rehabilitation from an achilles tendon injury was ruined in week one by a stray Bay of Plenty finger.
"Greg's been able to train right through for a long time apart from the 10 days with the eye. He came through well yesterday and we didn't feel he needed game time as much as Neemia."
Meanwhile, Keith Robinson (calf), Andrew Ellis (concussion) and Reuben Thorne (calf) are also progressing well after missing yesterday's hit out.
The All Blacks' camp broke up today with the 30-man squad to reassemble in Auckland next week ahead of Wednesday's departure for France.
- NZPA
