All Blacks on domestic duty
Ten All Blacks will be released to play for their provinces in the NPC this coming week.
With the All Blacks not playing for a fortnight, coach Steve Hansen's opted to give some players game time in the second round of the provincial competition.
The All Blacks squad disassembled in Auckland on Sunday, following their 22-0 Bledisloe Cup shutout of the Wallabies at Eden Park on Saturday and will reassemble in Wellington next weekend to prepare for the Rugby Championship Test against Argentina at Westpac Stadium on Saturday, September 8.
There is just one injury concern for the All Blacks.
Coach Steve Hansen said Luke Romano took a knock another to the shoulder he injured in the Super Rugby semifinal.
"It hasn't surfaced yet as something that could be serious but we have to wait and see how it comes off over the next couple of days so it'll either go away or it'll hang around."
Hansen added that midfielder Conrad Smith is recovering well from eye surgery and is likely to come straight into the side for the Test against Argentina.
The All Blacks that will be available to play for their respective provincial teams this week are:
Tuesday 28 August
Wellington (Julian Savea and Victor Vito) v Hawke's Bay, Wellington
Wednesday 29 August
Auckland (Charlie Faumuina and Piri Weepu) v Canterbury, Christchurch
Thursday 30 August
Bay of Plenty (Sam Cane and Brodie Retallick) v Otago (Tamati Ellison and Adam Thomson), Rotorua
Saturday 1 September
Canterbury (Wyatt Crockett) v North Harbour, Christchurch
Taranaki (Andrew Hore) v Tasman, New Plymouth
