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Highlanders lock Jarrad Hoeata is the only uncapped player in the 30-man All Blacks squad named on Sunday for the Tri-Nations and the Test against Fiji .
27-year-old Hoeata started every match for the Highlanders this year in his outstanding second Super Rugby season. He played for the New Zealand Sevens team in 2006 and also featured strongly for New Zealand Maori in last year's Centenary Series.
Colin Slade has been preferred to Aaron Cruden as Dan Carter's back-up at fly-half, while there is no place for France-bound 68-Test veteran Joe Rokocoko
Super Rugby standouts for the Crusaders Robbie Fruean and Matt Todd will have to impress selectors in the ITM Cup if they will have any chance of playing at the World Cup. Tom Donnelly, Rene Ranger, Benson Stanley, Luke McAlister, Neemia Tialata, Alby Mathewson, Stephen Donald and Victor Vito have also missed out.
Four players named in the Tri-Nations squad are recovering from injuries - Tony Woodcock (foot), Isaia Toeava (hip), Hosea Gear (hamstring) and Israel Dagg (thigh muscle) - so the All Blacks selectors have also announced that four players will assemble with the squad as injury cover: Crusaders prop Wyatt Crockett, Hurricanes winger Cory Jane, Chiefs winger Sitiveni Sivivatu and Highlanders winger Ben Smith.
As expected, the squad will be led by Richie McCaw and is made up of 16 forwards and 14 backs and packs huge experience with 1028 Test caps between them.
Read more: http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,2...030337,00.html