Injured All Black Kieran Read has declared that he will be fit to start the Rugby World Cup and play against Canada in New Zealand’s final Pool game.
Read suffered an ankle sprain in the All Blacks final TriNations match against Australia and has been sideline for the last two weeks.
Read is a core member of the All Blacks loose forward trio, alongside Captain Richie McCaw and Jerome Kaino and was missed against Tonga.
“The ankle is coming on as well as I’ve hoped. I’m out of the (protective) moon boot,” Read told TVNZ.
“From today I can actually get round and walk round a bit normally.”
Read said that his plan was to start running again next week and that all the signs point to him being fit to face Canada in three weeks time.
“I’ve been into the pool and doing a lot of rehab with it (the injury), but it’s just a matter of wait and see and I think we’ve just got to take it step by step at this stage.”
Read admitted that he felt it was frustrating watching the All Blacks play from the sidelines and he was using that as motivation to get back into the starting side.
“You don’t want to be letting other people having opportunities in your position.”
“I’m helping them (the loose forwards) as much as I can because as a team we want to be moving forward,” he said.
“But in the back of my mind I want to get back out on the field as quickly as I can.”
Read admitted that if he does return to face Canada he would not be match fit.
“I’ve got it through my mind that I’m not going to be where I’d like to be, but I’ve been working hard with the trainers.”
“I can bike, so my aerobic fitness should be fairly strong,” he said.
“It’s just going to be match fitness which might be lacking. But I’ll definitely give it my all when I get out there.”