New Zealand number two Andrew Hore felt very sure that he would be able to shake off his injury in time to line-up once again versus Australia in a Tri-Nations/Bledisloe Cup match in Auckland on Saturday.

The big hooker sustained bruising on his hip in the All Blacks' 19-34 loss to the Aussies in Sydney last weekend.

Hore now finds himself bracketed at number two with Keven Mealamu for Saturday's match, following Kiwi coach Graham Henry's team announcement on Tuesday.

"I'll be giving it everything I can," said Hore, who feels pretty certain that he'll overcome the pain from his injury to take his place come Saturday.

"I've got Hika here covering who's snapping on my heels like he was at the Hurricanes. Hopefully I can get the body right and get out there.

"Obviously I've been around for a while. I've been a third and fourth hooker too, and to be starting is pretty good.

"The team comes first, and I want to be right to make sure I can play well enough to put things right from last weekend," Hore told rugbyheaven.co.nz.

The tough-as-nails Hurricanes forward had a superb Super 14 season, prompting Henry to play him as the first-choice hooker for New Zealand.

But the 29-year-old also admitted that the decision to turn down lucrative European contracts in the hope of a spot on the 2011 World Cup squad was an important one.

Hore owns a farm in central Otago, and spends his time commuting all across New Zealand for his rugby career.

"The wife and I had to make a decision if we were going to go overseas and make things a little bit easier to live together, or stay with what you know," he said.

"Obviously my overseas thing is over now, and once I get to the end of three years I'll be ready to go back to the farm I suppose.

"It would have been easier to go overseas, but obviously the All Black jersey is still burning inside me."

AFP