Chiefs winger Sitiveni Sivivatu's hopes of making the All Blacks' rugby World Cup squad have received a boost after tests showed his shoulder injury is not as bad as first feared.

The 43-Test All Black partially dislocated his left shoulder in the Chiefs' 19-11 defeat by the Reds in Hamilton on Saturday night, but an assessment by Chiefs medical staff yesterday allayed fears it was a season-ending injury.

"It is not as bad as we first thought. He subluxed his left shoulder on Saturday night so it was not fully dislocated," said Chiefs physiotherapist Paul Cameron.

"He has full range of movement and good strength in the affected shoulder and he is going to see an orthopaedic surgeon because it is the shoulder that was operated on last year.

"He's very unlikely to be out for any more than a couple of weeks."

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