Richie McCaw has declared himself fully fit after coming through an intensive New Zealand training camp.

The All Blacks skipper missed the June Tests against France and Italy because of a knee injury but came through the two days in Wellington unscathed.

"I'm very happy with the knee. It's the way it should be," he said, though he was slightly less sure about his match fitness after six weeks on the sidelines.

"It's more the lungs and things that are going to take a while to come right.

"In the last three weeks I've had a pretty good chance to do a fair bit of fitness work. It's never going to totally replace match fitness but where I'm at I'm pretty happy.

"The first couple of games are going to be hard work but you accept that and just get out there and get into it."

The camp, designed to get the players ready for the physical, intense nature of Tri-Nations rugby, included a full-blooded 10-a-side match on Thursday.

"It took a while for the guys to start getting into each other but after a couple of good shots went in everyone was into it," McCaw said with a wry grin.

Coach Graham Henry, who has been reappointed until the end of 2011 along with assistants Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith, was happy with the hit-out.

"I think we got better as we went along. It was important that they had a physical hit-out because some of them haven't played for some time," he said.

"Preparing physically for next week's Test (against Australia) was important. A number of them have come off injury and just getting the confidence to be out there playing was very important for them."

McCaw is one of three senior players returning to the squad after injury. Rodney So'oialo and Sitiveni Sivivatu are the others to be welcomed back and Henry felt there had been a noticeable lift in the squad with their arrival.

"They have made a difference already," he said. "Their confidence rubs off on other people, they know what they are about, they've been here before and know what is required. They add a lot to the unit."

Henry was relieved no new injury worries had surfaced during a bruising two days but there are still concerns over fly-halves Luke McAlister and Stephen Donald.

McAlister has a back problem which prevented him from playing club rugby last weekend. But Henry was hopeful he would take to the field this Saturday instead.

"He's made some big improvements over the last couple of days but he'll only play if he feels he's right," he said.

Donald, who missed the win against Italy last month with a hamstring strain, remains "touch and go" for the July 18 showdown against Australia in Auckland.

Should McAlister be ruled out that would leave Piri Weepu or Stephen Brett, who was brought to the training camp as cover, facing the prospect of starting against the Wallabies.

Other players expected to get a run out with their clubs this Saturday include McCaw, So'oialo, Brendon Leonard, Owen Franks, Wyatt Crockett and Bryn Evans.