Beauden Barrett is one of 17 All Blacks released to play for their provinces.

Seventeen All Blacks will play for their provinces in the national provincial championship over the next two weeks.

New Zealand Rugby released a list on Monday that will only intensify the debate around which players will make coach Steve Hansen's final World Cup squad.

On first glance it appears those already locked in as certainties for the global tournament have not been released with heavy hitters like Richie McCaw and Dan Carter predictably absent.

If that was the case, Canterbury utility Colin Slade would be thrilled by his omission.

Hotly debated selections like fullback Israel Dagg (Hawke's Bay), wing Cory Jane and Jeremy Thrush (both Wellington), utility back Charles Piutau and prop Charlie Faumuina (both Auckland), and the Canterbury quartet of midfielder Ryan Crotty, prop Joe Moody, openside Matt Todd and wing Patrick Osborne, have been released for two matches.

Others, such as blindside Liam Messam and halfback Tawera Kerr-Barlow (Waikato), first five eighth's Lima Sopoaga (Southland) and Beauden Barrett (Taranaki), loose forward Victor Vito (Wellington), openside Sam Cane (Bay of Plenty), prop Ben Franks (Hawke's Bay), and lock James Broadhurst (Taranaki), are available for just one of the two rounds.

The immediate conclusion from that list would be that those playing the most, have the most still to prove, though there was no word out of the All Blacks camp either way.

There were no players unavailable due to injury.

The following players were made available for round two this week:

* Cory Jane and Jeremy Thrush (for Wellington vs. North Harbour, Auckland, 7.35PM Thursday 20 August)

* Tawera Kerr-Barlow and Liam Messam (for Waikato vs. Manawatu, Palmerston North, 2.35PM Saturday 22 August)

* Lima Sopoaga (for Southland vs. Northland, Whangarei, 5.35PM Saturday 22 August)

* Israel Dagg (for Hawke's Bay vs. Otago, Dunedin, 7.35PM Saturday 22 August)

* Charlie Faumuina and Charles Piutau (for Auckland vs. Taranaki, Auckland, 2.35PM Sunday 23 August)

* Ryan Crotty Joe Moody, Patrick Osborne and Matt Todd (for Canterbury vs. Counties Manukau, 4.35PM Sunday 23 August)

The following players were made available, if required, for round three next week:

* Sam Cane (for Bay of Plenty vs. Southland, Tauranga, 7.35PM Wednesday 26 August)

* Cory Jane, Jeremy Thrush and Victor Vito (for Wellington vs. Northland, Wellington, 7.35PM Saturday 29 August)

* Israel Dagg and Ben Franks (for Hawke's Bay vs. Counties Manukau, Pukekohe, 7.35PM Friday 28 August)

* Charlie Faumuina and Charles Piutau (for Auckland) and Ryan Crotty Joe Moody, Patrick Osborne and Matt Todd (for Canterbury) for their match in Auckland, 2.35PM Saturday 29 August

* Beauden Barrett and James Broadhurst (Taranaki vs. Otago, New Plymouth, 5.35PM Saturday 29 August)