The four players on the injury list before the All Blacks headed off to southwest France for the bye week, including captain Sam Cane, are available for selection for Saturday's (NZ time) match against Italy, assistant coach Jason Ryan has confirmed.
Head coach Ian Foster, who will name his team for the Pool A match on Thursday morning, will have flanker Shannon Frizell, prop Tyrel Lomax and centre Jordie Barrett available for the first time at the tournament.
Openside flanker Cane was named to start the tournament opening loss to hosts France at Stade de France but was withdrawn shortly before the match kicked off with a back problem.
Frizell, who started at blindside flanker throughout the All Blacks' Rugby Championship triumph, has been struggling with a hamstring problem, forcing Foster to tinker with his back row.
Tighthead Lomax sustained a nasty cut to his leg that damaged the muscle and required 30 stitches in the 35-7 warm-up loss to South Africa in London last month.
Barrett, first choice at second-five this year, has been nursing a sore knee since arriving in France with Foster reluctant to risk making it worse by playing him in the games against France and Namibia.
The only player in 33-man squad unavailable is loosehead prop Ethan de Groot, who will serve the first in a two-game ban for a dangerous tackle in the 71-3 win over Namibia.
Reuters.
