Winners & Losers: Could these All Blacks be in the conversation for a recall? – Christopher Reive

Injuries following the All Blacks tour of South Africa have opened up opportunities ahead of the upcoming Bledisloe Cup tests. Several returning players made notable appearances during recent National Provincial Championship matches. Shannon Frizell impressed for Tasman against Bay of Plenty after returning from Japan, while Taranaki lock Scott Barrett completed roughly 55 minutes against Hawke's Bay following a lengthy injury layoff.

Leicester Fainga'anuku also made his return from injury as a second-half substitute for Tasman, packing down in the scrum. The national side faces a shortage in the midfield due to injuries suffered by Billy Proctor, Quinn Tupaea, and Anton Lienert-Brown, potentially expanding squad openings for versatile returning players.