Adam Thomson's chances of making the All Black squad this year are looking good, with the Otago and Highlanders loose forward attending a preliminary All Black camp in Auckland.
The other Highlanders among the 25 players at the three-day camp that started yesterday are Jimmy Cowan (Southland), Tom Donnelly (Otago) and Paul Williams (Canterbury).
Thomson's invitation to the camp was recognition of his efforts for the Highlanders this season.
He made an impact on the New Zealand domestic scene during last year's Air New Zealand Cup and carried his form into the Highlanders.
Thomson (25) was naturally disappointed in missing out on a Super 14 contract with the Highlanders last year, but another door opened for him when he was snapped up by coach Gordon Tietjens for the New Zealand Sevens team. In hindsight it was good for Thomson because it improved his game out of sight and made him a more dynamic player.
Thomson grew up in Ashburton but honed his rugby skills during the five years he spent as a boarder at Christchurch Boys High School.
He was a regular in Canterbury schoolboy and age group teams and played for the New Zealand Colts. The key elements of Thomson's play are his skills in the line-out, his strong running with the ball, his devastating tackling and his ability to win the ball at the breakdown. Cowan remains in the All Black frame despite missing out on last year's World Cup to Brendon Leonard and Andrew Ellis.
Donnelly, a New Zealand Junior last year, had a consistent Super 14 and looks set to move up to the All Black squad this year.
Piri Weepu's exile from the All Blacks is set to continue after the Wellington halfback was overlooked for the 25-man group.
Cowan and Leonard are the two halfbacks attending, while Ellis (of the Crusaders) is also in contention for the 26-man All Black squad being named on Sunday for upcoming tests against Ireland and England.
Ellis and several of his Crusaders team-mates are expected to figure, providing they emerge unscathed from the Super 14 final against the Waratahs in Christchurch on Saturday.
Weepu, whose Super 14 campaign ended with the Hurricanes' semifinal defeat to the Crusaders last weekend, has been on the outer since All Black management expressed concerns about his fitness and attitude shortly before the World Cup squad was finalised.
He played the last of his 20 tests against South Africa in June last year.
Cowan has also been reprimanded after being charged with disorderly conduct following the Highlanders' Super 14 match with the Blues this month.
Meanwhile, the retirement this week of Jerry Collins leaves the blindside flanker position up for grabs, although All Black coach Graham Henry yesterday said the 48-test veteran would had been battling to retain his place.
Henry said the 27-year-old's form for the Hurricanes was such that he did not warrant inclusion in the squad to prepare for the Ireland and England tests.
Henry agreed with Collins' decision to seek a release from his New Zealand Rugby Union contract a year before it expired in order to take a break from the game.
Collins is expected to eventually join the exodus to Europe, although he insists he has no firm plans at present.
Although a mainstay of the All Blacks in recent years, Collins had been overtaken by Crusaders loose forward Kieran Read and Jerome Kaino, of the Blues, Henry said.
The uncapped players included in the group are lock/loose forward Anthony Boric, lock Kevin O'Neill, first five-eighth Stephen Donald, centre Richard Kahui, centre Anthony Tuitavake, wing Rudi Wulf, and Williams.
