All Blacks have plenty in reserve

There's a view within New Zealand, expressed by former captain David Kirk, that the core of this awesome All Blacks' team is a bit long in the tooth and that many of them were off-form in the recently completed National Provincial Championship.

But, then again, these things are relative and as Brian Ashton might be moved to say; "THEY'VE got problems?"

True, Zinzan Brooke's decision to opt for Harlequins next season and effectively rule himself out of the World Cup has highlighted the venerability of some of this team. Brooke is "only" 32 yet clearly took a cold-hearted, financially motivated view that he wouldn't make it through to `99, which thus turns the focus on Sean Fitzpatrick (34) and Frank Bunce (35).

However, Fitzpatrick is clearly intent on making it to the World Cup and after missing only one of their last 90 Tests over the past decade - when rested for the rout of Japan in 1995 - who'd bet against him. He has, apparently, been returning to form after an injury-enforced lay-up and should be in optimum shape for the tour.

As for Bunce, the widespread view in New Zealand last summer was that John Hart displayed an overt sense of loyalty when picking the former Western Samoan centre for the All Blacks' trial and then retaining him for the first Test against Fiji. As it was, Bunce went on to play in all seven Tests this year and produced some of the best rugby of his life, most notably a two-try, Man of the Match performance in the win over South Africa in Johannesburg.

Even if both were not to last the pace over the next two years, no-one else in the 36-man squad is over 30. And in their brilliant Tri-Nations' blackwash, they looked far from a team reaching its sell-by date. If anything, they are possibly the best team that ever drew breath.

Down in New Zealand when the Lions' tour began in South Africa, Fran Cotton's remark that South Africa was a harder place to win a series than New Zealand drew far more wry smiles and chuckles than it did outraged indignation. The proof of the pudding was in the TriNations when the All Blacks completed that stunning 35-32 comeback in Johannesburg before winning again in Auckland.

While it is also true that only six of the squad actually contested the NCP final between Canterbury and Counties Manakau, primarily because of the former's semi-final win over the all-conquering Auckland.

However, the prevailing view is that even for those players who's form dipped during the NCP, as Kurt McQuilkin puts it "once the tour starts they'll hit tour mode."

The tour starts today in Llanelli, evoking fond Welsh memories of the 9-3 win over Ian Kirkpatrick's equally famed All Blacks almost exacly 25 years ago - October 31st, 1972. Barring a similar upset, then today's All Blacks' selection looks like being the team to play Ireland next week.

Sources close to the All Blacks' squad confirm that Jonah Lomu has had to change his medication for his liver disorder, which in turn has curtailed his training programme. In the squad's 3K time trial before departure, Lomu was unable to complete it and he's only had two provincial comeback games.

Furthermore, opposing New Zealand teams have learnt how to defend against him, as both Waikato and Canterbury ably underlined by pushing two men or more up into his face to prevent him gaining any momentum. He can still "take out" four or five opponents but it would be unreasonable too expect too much too quickly from him on this tour.

Given Lomu's Counties' teammate on the other wing, Fijian flyer Joeli Vidiri, is still not eligible, their strength out wide is still phenomenal.

Jeff Wilson - the All Blacks Player of the Year - is probably the best right-winger in the world, and the dreadlocked Tana Umaga (converted from the Canterbury rightwing to the Test left-wing) has given their threequarter line an extra arrow in their quiver. He has been bulldozing through midfields as well as out wide throughout the TriNations.

As for try-per-Test Christian Cullen, he is assuredly the best fullback in the world; hailed as "a freak" by Wallaby scrum-half George Gregan. A flyer, and though relatively lightweight, he just bounces back up every time when hit, with ne'er a bother.

His intrusions into the line and counter-attacking from anywhere will be worth the admission money alone. As ever the world trend setters, New Zealand have cottoned onto the new rules quicker than anyone. As ever, it's also as much a pragmatic decision as one borne out of the understanding that rugby is now in the entertainment business.

Thus, they are as liable to attack from the surprise zone, inside their own 22, as anywhere else, because the numbers' game (with one opposing winger lieing deep as well as the full-back) makes it a good percentage move to spin the ball wide. Continuity is the key and while Rob Andrew's warning that Northern Hemisphere refereeing might penalise the Blacks' heavily and disrupt their normal momentum, they suffered from the same during the TriNations as well.

Beneath the top layer, there are a bunch of potential world-class players straining at the leash to break into the Test team. Scott McLeod, an imposing 6 foot 2 inch centre, has had a very good season with Waikato and is pushing Bunce hard. Walter Little, after being used as an out-half by North Harbour, might thus struggle to regain his place from the powerful Alama Ieremia. Todd Miller, a 22-year-old full-back and nephew of Syd Going, has been quite outstanding with Waikato.

Any team in the world would probably gladly have the unpredictable genius, strength, speed, outrageous handling skills and cool, prolific place-kicking of Carlos Spencer, yet he could be second choice to Andrew Mehrtens despite having done nothing wrong and a multitude of things right in the TriNations. That's scary.

The quicksilver Mark Robinson, tormentor in chief of the Irish Development team for the New Zealand Academy last summer, is so highly regarded that he has been taken on board at the expense of Auckland's Ofisa Tonu'u, though he'll do well to shift NCP Player of the Year Justin Marshall and Jon Preston.

Up front, there are a host more quality players itching for their chance - Mark "Bull" Allen, Con Barrell (who had a huge season for Canterbury), Mark Cooksley, and Todd Blackadder, an outstanding loose forward who will just keep going forward all day long, and Andrew Blowers - intriguingly selected as an openside along with Josh Kronfeld with Taine Randell reverting to number eight in place of Brooke. Oh for some of these reserves.

It's a pity that Ireland is seeing none of them and so little of the Test side, all the more so as their Test dates with Ireland and Wales have been reversed. Thus, they will slip stealthily into Dublin from Cardiff next Wednesday and out again on Sunday to Leeds after their sole competitive appearance on Irish soil in Saturday's international. So even Thursday's training session at Lansdowne Road, with the Tuesday side training at UCD, is a "must see". For the diehards there will also be a run-out at UCD on the Sunday.

Despite the near trepidation one might have about the carnage these All Blacks could wreak next Saturday, the mood amongst the Irish rugby community seems to be "Just enjoy". And the comforting thing is that whatever they might do to Ireland they will probably also do to Wales and England - who could be reeling on the ropes after their four successive Saturdays against the three Southern Hemisphere sides.

Such is the way of the modern game that it is geared for the Big Match and nothing less will do. But such are these All Blacks' standards that anything less than four Test wins, and for that matter an unbeaten nine-match tour, might be interpreted as at least mildly anticlimactic.