Dane Coles is set to make his long-awaited return to rugby on Friday night.

It's the final round of the Mitre 10 Cup before the playoffs, and there are a few things worth keeping an eye on.

For some players it may even present as a last chance to get in front of the national selectors, with All Blacks coach Steve Hansen this week revealing they are going to be taking an extended squad to face Japan next month to allow a bunch of key men to be shipped north to begin preparations for Europe early.

Here's this week's talking points:

All Blacks' cavalry returns

ANDREW CORNAGA/PHOTOSPORT Nepo Laulala, left, and Joe Moody will lock horns in their comeback from injury on Saturday night.

Joe Moody, Dane Coles, Nepo Laulala. Good things come in threes, they say. And that's not a bad trio to be making their return from injury all at once.

Coles is the big one. The 31-year-old, 56-test hooker has been out of action since rupturing his ACL against France in November last year. After further surgery was needed in May, calf issues have stunted him since, but he's now set to play the last 20 minutes of Wellington's match against Taranaki in New Plymouth on Friday.

The following night, props Moody and Laulala are set to pack down against one another as they also return to the fray.

Moody broke his thumb against the Wallabies in Auckland on August 25, while Laulala has had to endure two bouts of surgery to overcome a broken forearm suffered in Super Rugby on March 2.

Can the Ranfurly Shield stay in the Waikato for the summer?

ANTHONY AU-YEUNG/GETTY IMAGES Waikato will be looking to lock away the Ranfurly Shield for the summer.

After a stunning turnaround of their fortunes, Waikato can lock the Log o' Wood away for the summer with victory over Otago on Saturday.

The Mooloos had gone a province-record 10 consecutive defeats up till their fourth game of this year, before suddenly notching six-straight bonus point wins under coach Jono Gibbes, who will take off after this one season in charge to join French club La Rochelle next month.

Having already wrapped up top seeding for the championship division semifinals, Waikato's focus can purely go on the Shield this weekend, but expect their attacking endeavour to continue, with young backs Sevu Reece, Quinn Tupaea and Bailyn Sullivan all oozing class.

Waikato face a dangerous Otago side, who, after beating high-flying Auckland at Eden Park, last week roared from behind to take down Bay of Plenty in Dunedin, before being tipped up at home by Tasman four days later.

New record beckons for Southland

DIANNE MANSON/GETTY IMAGES Southland are on the verge of setting a new record for consecutive defeats.

The poor old Stags.

Staring down the barrel of a 19th-straight loss which would equal Northland's mark in the top flight of New Zealand domestic rugby, Southland led Bay of Plenty 22-19 with seven minutes to go in Invercargill on Sunday.

And then Kane Leaupepe bowled over between the sticks, which handed the hosts a 26-22 defeat.

Now, back at Rugby Park on Wednesday night, Southland will attempt to avoid setting a new mark of 20 successive beatings. However, staring them in the face will be premiership hot shots Auckland.

North Harbour or Wellington?

HAGEN HOPKINS/GETTY IMAGES Wellington and North Harbour are battling to secure the fourth semifinal berth in the premiership division.

The fourth and last semifinal spot in the premiership division will go to one of these sides, who are tied on 29 points.

Harbour will be out to back up their playoffs effort from last year, having won promotion the season before, while the Lions are hunting their first premiership semi since 2013 - the season before they were demoted.

Wellington - who have ironically won one game less than Harbour - look to have the easier task, up against Taranaki in New Plymouth on Friday, with Harbour facing Auckland at Eden Park on Sunday.

A bonus-point win for the Lions would be enough, because if the teams finish level on points the first tie breaker is the result of the contest between the two - which was a 35-23 win to Wellington on September 9.

Counties Manukau or Taranaki?

PHIL WALTER/GETTY IMAGES Either Counties Manukau or Taranaki are going to suffer demotion to the championship division.

At the other end of the spectrum, one of these teams will be relegated to the championship for next year.

Taranaki have been in the top grade since the two-division split in 2011, and their fall from grace this season has been remarkable, losing six games on the bounce, many in emphatic fashion.

They are three points behind Counties, so need to beat Wellington in New Plymouth on Friday to get their nose in front.

The Steelers, who have stayed up since earning promotion in 2012, are in Pukekohe the following night, but face a tough assignment against Canterbury, and, after ironically being the last team Taranaki beat, Counties have to do better than finish level on points with them.

AT A GLANCE

Mitre 10 Cup, Rd 9

WEDNESDAY

Southland v Auckland

Venue: Rugby Park, Invercargill

Kickoff: 7.35pm

TAB odds: Auckland $1.05 Southland $8.50

THURSDAY

Tasman v Hawke's Bay

Venue: Trafalgar Park, Nelson

Kickoff: 7.35pm

TAB odds: Tasman $1.15 Hawke's Bay $5

FRIDAY

Taranaki v Wellington

Venue: Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth

Kickoff: 7.35pm

TAB odds: Wellington $1.27 Taranaki $3.50

SATURDAY

Bay of Plenty v Northland

Venue: Tauranga Domain

Kickoff: 2.35pm

TAB odds: Northland $1.82 Bay of Plenty $1.92

Waikato v Otago (Ranfurly Shield)

Venue: FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton

Kickoff: 5.05pm

TAB odds: Waikato $1.45 Otago $2.60

Counties Manukau v Canterbury

Venue: Navigation Homes Stadium, Pukekohe

Kickoff: 7.35pm

TAB odds: Canterbury $1.18 Counties Manukau $4.50

SUNDAY

Auckland v North Harbour

Venue: Eden Park, Auckland

Kickoff: 2.05pm

TAB odds: N/A

Manawatu v Southland

Venue: Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North

Kickoff: 4.35pm

TAB odds: N/A