All Blacks colossus Brodie Retallick seems poised for a return to action against Namibia at the Rugby World Cup on Sunday.
Coach Steve Hansen will name his line-up to face the tournament's lowest-ranked team on Friday and is likely to rest many of his front-line performers.
But Newshub's Ross Karl expects the towering lock - arguably the best in the world at his position - to make his playing comeback from a shoulder injury suffered against the Springboks more than two months ago.
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Hansen hinted as much, after watching his side dismantle Canada 63-0 on Wednesday.
"Scott Barrett played the full game," Karl tells The Cup 19 podcast. "After 70 minutes, Patrick Tuipulotu came off and Same Whitelock came on.
"Considering the logic with the props, with the locks, it says they've got something up their sleeve.
"Last night, Hansen was asked about it after the game and his response was, 'Well, I'm not going to tell you the team now, but tomorrow'.
"Then he went on to say, 'But the obvious is the obvious'. That was an admission that Brodie Retallick is going to play."
Hansen rotated three players - Angus Ta'avao, Nepo Laulala and Ofa Tuungafasi - through the tighthead prop position against Canada, preserving them for future games, leaving Atu Moli to play a full 80 minutes at loosehead.
Karl claims Moli is unlikely to be named against Namibia, and the big minutes logged by Barrett and Tuipulotu suggests they will also enjoy a light workload against the Africans.
Listen to the latest Cup 19 podcast, as Ross Karl explains who he thinks will fill the All Blacks midfield at the business end of the World Cup.
Newshub.
