July Test

The Manu play two tests each against the Māori All Blacks and Tonga over the next month, starting in Wellington on Saturday night.

26 players took part in a training session on Monday, with Northampton fullback Ah See Tuala and Perpignan hooker Seilala Lam still completing their two weeks in hotel quarantine.

Glasgow duo TJ Ioane and Aki Seiuli and Seattle Seawolves first five AJ Alatimu have yet to secure MIQ spots and face the prospect of missing all four upcoming tests.

The first All Blacks squad of the year is expected to be named over the coming weeks, with the first test of the year scheduled against Tonga at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland on July 3.

Two tests against Fiji in Dunedin and Hamilton will follow in consecutive weeks, and speculation among fans and pundits about who could make the squad for the upcoming test series has been ongoing since the beginning of the Super Rugby season.

Crusaders prop Michael Alaalatoa will captain the 31-man squad and is one of 11 players who featured at the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

Head coach Vaovasamanaia Seilala Mapusua has selected four locally based players, 20 from New Zealand and Australia, with the remaining seven players plying their trade across England, Scotland, France, the USA and Japan.

"This is a very important initial campaign for us playing the qualifier against Tonga and also privileged to play the Māori All Blacks as lead up to the qualifier," he said.