Wellington rugby boss Greg Peters has no issues with the player-driven system which sees the province shorn of its four top All Blacks for the rest of the ITM Cup.

Seventeen current All Blacks were yesterday made available for various stages of the next five weeks, but that didn't include Wellington Lions quartet of Piri Weepu, Ma'a Nonu, Conrad Smith and Cory Jane.

Flanker Victor Vito is the only All Black available to Wellington coach Andre Bell, against North Harbour on October 10 and Taranaki on October 16, before the squad departs for the tour of Hong Kong and Europe.

"We were consulted and we understand the reasons fully.

"We respect the wishes of the players and the All Blacks to ensure these guys are in the best nick they need to be heading into a huge year for New Zealand rugby," Peters said yesterday.

Each All Black met with the coaching staff in Sydney last week to discuss their individual workloads with an eye to next year's World Cup.

Peters said the players made their own decisions in consultation with All Blacks management, as to whether they would play any provincial rugby.

Lock Brad Thorn, for example, wanted to play one match and will front for Canterbury against Counties-Manukau on October 16.

Other frontliners available for that weekend only are Jimmy Cowan (Southland), Tom Donnelly (Otago), Keven Mealamu (Auckland) and Tony Woodcock (North Harbour).

Peters said it wasn't only the physical toll of a long season which began in February and won't end until late in November.

"They've played all this rugby to date; then they've got a northern hemisphere tour, a short break over Christmas then back into an extended Super 15 next year, then straight into a World Cup at the end of next year.

"It's a big workload, not only physically but being involved in rugby with three different teams throughout that period is quite challenging."

Fringe All Blacks Liam Messam, Benson Stanley, Colin Slade, Anthony Boric and Rene Ranger will all play this weekend.

First five-eighth Aaron Cruden is scheduled to return for Manawatu against Tasman on October 3, but his coach Dave Rennie hoped it could be shifted to a week earlier against North Harbour depending on how he recovers from a sprained left ankle.

"How much game time has he had? He needs to play footy," Rennie said.

Meanwhile, Peters was prepared to cut the Wellington side some slack as it sits fifth on the ladder after back-to-back defeats to Manawatu and Auckland.

"We've had our challenges. We're certainly not performing to the levels that either the coaches or players would hope over the last couple of weeks, particularly," Peters said.

"We've been hit pretty hard by injuries which is testing the depth of the squad."

When the All Blacks will return to their provincial teams:

This weekend ( week 8 ): Liam Messam (Waikato), Benson Stanley (Auckland), Colin Slade (Canterbury), Anthony Boric (North Harbour), Rene Ranger (Northland)

Week nine: John Afoa (Auckland), Corey Flynn (Canterbury)

Week 10: Aaron Cruden (Manawatu)

Week 11: Israel Dagg (Hawke's Bay), Joe Rokocoko (Auckland), Victor Vito (Wellington)

Week 12: Ben Franks (Tasman), Jimmy Cowan (Southland), Owen Franks, Brad Thorn (Canterbury), Keven Mealamu (Auckland), Tom Donnelly (Otago), Tony Woodcock (North Harbour)

Not playing: Mils Muliaina, Cory Jane, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Dan Carter, Piri Weepu, Kieran Read, Richie McCaw, Jerome Kaino.

Former All Black and new Melbourne Rebels prop Greg Somerville can't understand all the angst surrounding the All Blacks' form resurgence in 2010.

While his countrymen continue to tie themselves in knots worrying about whether Graham Henry's men have peaked too soon, a year out from the World Cup, Somerville reckons the best is still to come.

And the message from the 66-test veteran, who will spend the next two seasons with the Rebels, is to stop fretting and sit back and enjoy a vastly improved All Blacks outfit.

"It's been very impressive the way they've grown their game," the former Cantabrian said of the 6-0 Tri-Nations sweep. "It's just been a joy to watch and good to see them enjoying what they're doing and being the best in the world really."

And he admitted conjecture over the now traditional strong pre-World Cup season had been as amusing as it was bemusing.

"What's the point?" he asked. "If they'd lost six Tri-Nations matches what would it have been like? It's ridiculous to worry about this now. These guys are not going to be thinking we've peaked too early. They'll be thinking we've got to push on from here and be even better next year."

Sommerville, speaking at the launch of the new Super Rugby competition in Sydney this week, reckoned the last two tests had given him as much heart as some of the more convincing victories earlier in the campaign.

"It shows there's a bit of character there. That they've got more than one tool in their box. It's good to know when things aren't going quite so well and they're under pressure, they've got the skills and tools there to pull those games back and take them at the end.

"They've also shown they can get out to great start and rip teams apart as well. You've got to have them both but games don't always go your way. If you can change them over the last 20 and win a test from behind, that's going to count in big matches like the World Cup."

The veteran front-rower said he liked the blend of vast experience with the odd newcomer in the All Blacks and he felt they still had plenty of upside yet.

"Those guys won't be sitting back on their laurels and thinking we've done enough. They'll be working away the next few months looking at how they can be better next year.

"I'd say to New Zealanders stop worrying and enjoy the moment."

The 32-year-old said he was slightly anxious about his return to Super Rugby but looking forward to being part of the Rebels' debut in the new upsized competition.

"For me it's going to be harder than just going from one franchise to another," he said of his return from a stint with Gloucester.

"I'm probably going to have to do a little more work to upskill myself, lift fitness levels and catch up with the way the game has moved on over here."

Somerville was looking forward to working with, and learning from, Aussie coaching guru Rod Macqueen and felt the Rebels would have a simple aim for their debut season.

"If we can push sides and gain the respect of other sides we'll have achieved something.

"There probably won't be a lot of that from the start but we want other sides to know when they come to Melbourne they'll get a run for their money."

And the old warhorse is adamant he'll be ready when it counts.

"You change from the enthusiasm of youth to being an elder guy you push yourself when you need to," he said with a knowing smile. "But I know when it comes to running on the field I'll still have the same motivation I did when I first started."

Triumphant New Zealand coach Graham Henry said he would "go to war" with his players after they pulled off a stunning last-gasp 29-22 win over South Africa to clinch the 2010 Tri-Nations title.

Late tries from captain Richie McCaw and replacement Israel Dagg saw the All Blacks spoil the Springboks party at Soccer City before a sell-out 88,791 crowd.

"They do not get any bigger than that. It was a huge match played in front of an amazing crowd but I am so proud of my team," said Henry as they completed a three-Test clean sweep of wins this year over the reigning world champions.

"They showed great character to stick together and these are the kind of players you would like to go to war with. It's very special - to come from behind at altitude against the world champions made it even more memorable."

Despite a fourth consecutive Tri-Nations defeat this season, Bok coach Peter de Villiers was pleased with the improvement his team showed as they picked up their first bonus point of the southern hemisphere campaign.

"We did not have any luck and that has been the case throughout the Tri-Nations. Well done to the All Blacks - they deserved it this year because they have played some good rugby.

"It's a huge disappointment for us although we have made a hell of a step up from the first three matches. Now we don't want to make losing a habit so we have to bounce back quickly."

Of all the South Africans inside a stadium that hosted the football World Cup final last month, none was more disappointed than Bok skipper John Smit.

He became only the second Bok to win 100 caps but a missed tackle at 22-22 with less than one minute left allowed New Zealand to snatch victory - a memory Smit admitted he was keen to forget.

"I cannot think I have ever been so disappointed. This will hurt me for a long time," he confessed.

"In the first half we had control of the game and played on our terms. The second half came and we were not so in control as little things like kicks not finding touch did not go our way.

"At 22-22, we planned to come back and have another go to try and win the game but then I missed a tackle and it was game over."

Smit recognised the significance of playing in front of such a big crowd.

"We've got some good venues in rugby but this is one of the best," he said.

"I was struggling not to choke up as we ran out and standing 10 metres away from the Haka we could not hear a thing."

Rival captain and flanker Richie McCaw was delighted with the outcome one year before his country host the Rugby World Cup with the All Blacks seeking a first title since winning the first tournament 23 years ago at home.

"The big thing was to keep believing and we kept going when we were up against it.

"We have not come from behind too often in recent matches, but to come out on the winning side shows how much character we have in our team.

"A week is a long time in rugby - let alone 12 months - and there is a long way to go until the World Cup.

"We feel we have room for improvement and that bodes well for next year."