Lions Tour: The end of an era for some, the beginning of one for others. The All Black watch intensified over the weekend when Graham Henry unveiled his hand for their sole warm-up game, against Fiji on Friday night, while the Maoris did likewise for Saturday's "fourth Test" against the tourists in Hamilton.
Justin Marshall's inclusion was, ultimately, never an issue, according to Henry, but as expected the non-inclusion of Andrew Mehrtens assuredly means he played his last representative game in New Zealand when coming on as a replacement for the Probables in their loss to the Possibles last Friday night and will now surely follow Carlos Spencer and Justin Marshall to the Zurich Premiership in England by the end of the summer.
Likewise, Graham Henry intimated former All Black skipper Reuben Thorne would henceforth only be used in an emergency.
"We've got to think about bringing young locks on. He's not a lock of the future but he could do a job for us," explained Henry.
One of those locks for the future is James Ryan, who is one of five uncapped players in the 23-man squad to play Fiji, along with the Crusaders' Campbell Johnstone at tight-head, one of the All Blacks' problematic areas, the Auckland Blues hooker Darren Witcombe and the latest in their production line of flyers out wide, winger Sitiveni Sivivatu and fullback Sosene Anesi.
Strictly speaking, Sivivatu is the latest in the Blacks' long line of Fijian wingers, and Anesi the latest Samoan. Considering Tongans such as Jonah Lomu and others to have represented the Silver Fern, one could claim the All Blacks are also playing to the power of four.
Sivivatu scored two tries in the trial, one of which was brilliantly laid on by Anesi, who has been fast-tracked into the All Blacks set-up after a stunning rookie Super 12 campaign with the Chiefs - "fast" being the operative word.
Describing Anesi as "the fastest player in the country", Henry added: "He can run the 100 metres in about 10.6 seconds and I think he has got vision. And as us slower fellas know, there is no substitute for pace."
Anesi is likely to be accommodated by Henry's desire to reconvert the incumbent All Blacks fullback Mils Muliaina to midfield outside captain Tana Umaga.
"Perhaps, most probably," said Henry, although Muliaina - like another double try-scorer in the trial, the often unstoppable Ma'a Nonu - might be ruled out of the Fijian game with a shoulder injury.
Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu and Greg Somerville look like being the frontrow, with Ali Williams back to partner Chris Jack at lock, and Jerry Collins, Rodney So'oialo and Richie McCaw reprising the backrow combination that helped destroy France last autumn in Paris, while Henry may favour Marshall ahead of Byron Kelleher alongside Daniel Carter.
Sivivatu looks like the favourite to nail down the number 11 jersey against the Lions given the out-of-sorts Joe Rokocoko is attempting to dip his bread and revive his confidence on the sevens circuit.
Doug Howlett, though defensively strong and a try scorer in the trial when following up another Sivivatu break, is lacking his customary zip and is reckoned to need a big game to fend off another up-and-coming flyer, the Crusaders' Rico Gear.
The Super 12's leading try-scorer is one of those the Maoris have first call on against the Lions. Gear and his fellow Crusaders Corey Flynn, Leon MacDonald, Carl Hayman and Caleb Ralph come back into the Maori set-up after being rested for the hard-earned 29-27 win over Fiji in Suva last Friday. All bar Ralph are expected to come into the reckoning for the Lions series.
The Maoris have a dozen All Blacks in their 22-man squad all told, including Carlos Spencer, after his stint at the Martin Johnson testimonial.
Saturday's game is being billed as the enigmatic genius's farewell game in New Zealand, though the Maori coach Matt Te Pou has said there will be no room for sentiment in his selection. But not seeing King Carlos at least once on this six-week trek would be too grim a thought to bear.
The protagonists are stomping their hooves and stalking each other from different sides of Auckland at the moment with different routes to Jade Stadium on June 25th.
Brian O'Driscoll didn't even know the make-up of the All Blacks squad, and Clive Woodward maintained he was only concerned with his Lions. But one ventures that the tourists' management will take a much keener interest in events at the North Harbour Stadium on Friday night.
NEW ZEALAND squad (v Fiji, Albany, Friday): Backs - Sosene Anesi, Mils Muliaina, Doug Howlett, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Ma'a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Tana Umaga (capt), Aaron Mauger, Daniel Carter, Justin Marshall, Byron Kelleher. Forwards - Rodney So'oialo, Mose Tuiali'I, Richie McCaw, Jerry Collins, Chris Jack, Ali Williams, James Ryan, Greg Somerville, Tony Woodcock, Campbell Johnstone, Keven Mealamu, Darren Witcombe.
MAORIS (v Lions, Hamilton, Saturday): Backs - Leon MacDonald, Rico Gear, Neil Brew, Caleb Ralph, Rua Tipoki, Luke McAlister, David Hill, Carlos Spencer, Piri Weepu, Craig McGrath. Forwards - Angus MacDonald, Marty Holah, Daniel Braid, Wayne Ormond, Jono Gibbes (capt), Ross Filipo, Sean Holneck, Deacon Manu, Greg Feek, Carl Hayman, Corey Flynn, Scott Linklater.
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