All Blacks return caps remarkable comeback for Elliot

By Greg Stutchbury WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Hika Elliot's comeback was completed on Sunday with his selection in an extended All Blacks squad that is making its final preparations for the defence of their World Cup title in England later this year. The 29-year-old Elliot was one of four hookers named in the 41-man squad by coach Steve Hansen for the All Blacks' five tests before the team is reduced to 31 on Aug. 30 for the global showpiece the following month. Chances of him making that final squad are incredibly good after some consistent performances for the Waikato Chiefs this season, with All Blacks coach Steve Hansen indicating that veteran Keven Mealamu and first choice Dane Coles were almost certain to be on the plane to England. Elliot's selection capped a remarkable 18 hours after he played his 100th Super Rugby match on Saturday in the wildcard playoff against the Otago Highlanders in Dunedin, a match his Chiefs side lost 24-14. By all rights he should not have even been at Otago Regional Stadium at all. About 18 months ago he returned from the Maori All Blacks tour of North America with a sore neck, an injury that turned out to be more serious than originally thought. He required surgery to fuse vertebrae together and it was uncertain if he would ever play rugby again after 85 Super Rugby appearances and three test caps. Elliot missed the entire 2014 Super Rugby season and, unsigned by any of the semi-professional provincial teams, returned to rugby through the amateur ranks, appearing for Poverty Bay. Mostly as a loose forward. A serious ankle injury to Nathan Harris, the man who had replaced him at the Chiefs and All Blacks, opened the door for him to return to professional rugby and he re-joined the Chiefs as injury cover. Such was his form, Elliot was the first choice all season and the drums started beating early about a possible recall by Hansen in time for the World Cup. Elliot refused to take anything for granted, though the fact he committed to the Chiefs for another two seasons last week indicated he still had higher aspirations. "I'm really blessed," he told Fairfax Media. "I was in a pretty bad way in terms of my injury, so to be able to come back and overcome the adversities and the challenges that I've had to overcome over the course of my rehabilitation and then getting back on the rugby field is something that I'm proud of. "It is every boy's dream to put on the black jersey (and) ... hopefully the rugby that I've played this year will help." It did. And Hansen said Elliot's form had been hard to ignore, as had the attitude he now brought to his game. "Since he has come back I think he realises himself on what he could have missed out on and that's made him hungry, made him a better person and he is certainly grateful to be playing the game," Hansen told Sky Sports on Sunday. "Every game he plays you can see that. He is enthusiastic, his physical presence is getting better. "If he hadn't got the neck injury he probably would have played more test matches by now." (Editing by Sudipto Ganguly)