Waikato on verge of welcoming back All Blacks

Richard Kahui will be the first of a host of returning All Blacks for Waikato, with the test midfielder likely to return to the side in the next couple of weeks.

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The list of injuries for the Mooloo men is a long one, with Kahui, Stephen Donald, Sitiveni Sivivatu and Ben May all yet to make ITM Cup appearances this season.

Kahui fractured his right shoulder socket playing against the Springboks at Eden Park on July 10, which was another chapter in a horror recent run of injuries.

He had a rib problem towards the end of the Rebel Sport Super 14, and missed most of last year after having reconstructive surgery on his left shoulder.

He did not require surgery on his right shoulder.

However it has taken longer than previously thought to make a return to the playing field.

"It's been pretty slow,” he said to the Waikato Times.

"They gave it a six-week window, then it just kept going and didn't get right so it has been dragging on.”

"But it's now come good really quickly so I'm pretty eager to get back on the field and play."

Kahui has now resumed contact training, often the final test to ensure that an injuries rehabilitation is complete, and the centre was being monitored by the Waikato and All Blacks medical teams.

"That (the contact sessions) will indicate whether I will play this week, next week or in the next few weeks," he said.

"But up until now I haven't really had that sort of uncontrolled contact like in a game scenario where you get hit from all different angles.

"Tonight we've got a pretty physical session so it will be a pretty good indicator of where I'm at."

"The thing from them (the medical teams) is that there is no real reason to rush back and I think the best thing for me is to make sure I come back when I am ready and not too early and do something more serious.”

"Right now I feel pretty good but I haven't really done any contact and it's not really the contact but how you feel the next day, so if I can get through training and I felt really good the next day I'd possibly make myself available for selection but it's pretty hard to call right now.”

"I can't wait because it's been too long but it's been good to watch the ABs truck along really well.

"The team environment here is really good too so to play for Waikato in the next few weeks is a big driving force for me."

Forward Ben May is expected to return in the coming weeks, who played a match for the Waikato development team, while both Donald and Sivivatu are both recovering well and are regular faces in the Mooloo’s training runs.

Waikato is seventh on the table, with their season back on track with a thumping 39-3 win over Counties-Manukau last weekend.