A quartet of senior All Blacks is set to be rested from Saturday's Tri Nations clash against South Africa in Wellington.

Crusaders trio Brad Thorn, Owen Franks and Kieran Read, along with Blues skipper Keven Mealamu, will be released from the All Blacks squad to continue their recoveries from a taxing Super Rugby campaign.

The move was confirmed on Monday by All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith.

The quartet also missed Friday's 60-14 hammering of Fiji in Dunedin.

The two other Crusaders who missed Carisbrook's Test rugby farewell, halfback Andy Ellis and Sonny Bill Williams, are available for selection.

Smith said the All Blacks selectors were persevering with their plan to tailor the workload of players on a case-by-case basis.

"We're just sticking to the plans that we've got," Smith said.

"So every player is on an individual plan and some are champing at the bit to get out and play, some are a wee bit overcooked ... so we're just sticking to that, making sure that we look after people.

"Our experience is that you're better to put the ones that are champing at the bit out there. We're about winning Test matches and the hungry players, the ones that are fresh and ready to go, they'll be playing."

The news means both teams will be understrength for the clash with the Springboks entering the game having left 21 players at home.

But Smith said it was unfair to liken the All Blacks' rest policy with the wholesale move adopted by the Springboks.

"You can't really compare our situation to what the Springboks have done," he said.

"The Springboks have made a choice to rest a big group of players. We're making individual choices on who's ready to play this week to win the test match and we're sticking to that."

Smith said the decision to give players more time off was done with one eye on the World Cup later in the year.

"It's not so much what they're saying, it's more what we've observed and experienced in the past and also understanding what we've coming up, so it's a joint decision.

"There are still a few that have done a lot of travel, who have played a lot of footy, who have got young families - who have been through a lot - who still need a wee bit of time to themselves," Smith said.

But he was confident they would be back in the fold ready to face Australia next week.

"We feel that by the time this game's over, they would have had a couple of weeks at home with family, recovered, refreshed, recharged, ready to go," he said.

Smith confirmed Hurricanes fullback Cory Jane was back in the reckoning after recovering from his dislocated finger but winger Hosea Gear and utility back Richard Kahui would not be risked as they recovered from hamstring strains.

Both teams will be named on Thursday.

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