Rugby: A week ago Stephen Donald was occupying his time fishing, while Aaron Cruden was skateboarding during down time from rugby. Now both outhalves have become vital links in New Zealand efforts to win the Rugby World Cup.

Donald almost missed his call up to New Zealand's World Cup squad while out on a fishing trip but he is now determined to make the most of the unexpected opportunity.

The 27-year-old was called up by coach Graham "Ted" Henry on Monday in the place of Colin Slade, the second All Black outhalf to be invalided out of the tournament with a groin injury after the totemic Dan Carter.

It was a remarkable turnaround for a player who has always polarised opinion in New Zealand and whose international career most thought over after he was omitted from the original 30-man party for the tournament. Donald told a news conference how he had never given up hope.

"I was down the Waikato River whitebaiting," he explained.

"I think Ted had missed me a couple of times and then I finally got a call from Milsy (Mils Muliaina) and he said 'start answering your phone you idiot' so that was sort of the message I needed.

"I've had a good month off and like everyone else have enjoyed watching the World Cup. Obviously I watched it thinking 'jeez I'd love to be a part of it' and now that opportunity potentially is here," said Donald.

The opportunity to win his 23rd cap could come as early as Sunday when the All Blacks take on Australia at Eden Park in the World Cup semi-finals.

Donald is likely to start on the bench as back-up to Cruden, who was called up as a squad replacement for Carter and got his chance in last weekend's quarter-final against Argentina when Slade was injured.

"You've got to remember that two weeks ago, Aaron Cruden was playing around on a skateboard and then last week, after 33 minutes, he was in a World Cup quarter-final," said assistant coach Wayne Smith, adding that scrumhalf Piri Weepu's ability to play at 10 was unlikely to be tested.

"Piri's been steering us pretty well from nine and I think it would be a big call to change that, so that might give you a bit of insight," he said.

"Both of these players have a great deal of experience, they've come back into it and we're really happy to have players of this quality to bring in."

Donald was part of the wider training group that all teams maintain in case of injury to squad members but Smith conceded that, with Cruden and Donald now called up, their stocks of outhalves were now exhausted.

"Clearly if there was another injury, we'd have to find someone," he said.