Two Bledisloe Cup veterans experienced differing emotions yesterday with Jason Little recalled by Australia and Josh Kronfeld dropped by New Zealand for Saturday's Tri Nations opener at Sydney's Olympic stadium.
Little replaced Rod Kafer at centre for the Bledisloe Cup international, while All Blacks coach Wayne Smith was adamant that Scott Robertson's inclusion ahead of Kronfeld did not signal the end of the career of one of the game's great openside flankers.
Smith said he was sticking with the horses-for-courses policy used in the All Blacks' three wins this year and was calling on the best 15 available to take on the world champions.
He also recalled former captain Taine Randell to the blindside flank and centre Pita Alatini.
Little's promotion from the bench was the only change Australian coach Rod Macqueen made to the starting side which beat South Africa 44-23 last week, with rugby league convert Andrew Walker taking Elton Flatley's place in the reserves and on the verge of becoming a dual international.
"We decided to go with Jason Little because we thought he played particularly well in the second half against South Africa," Macqueen said.
"We don't want to take anything away from Rod Kafer because he's a very good player, but perhaps this week Jason offers us a few more options. Jason is a little bit faster than Kafer."
Toutai Kefu stayed on the bench while Jim Williams retained his starting place at number eight. Macqueen said Kefu would not be far away from full fitness following his return to Test rugby in the second half last week after fracturing his leg during the Super 12.
"We thought he played very well when he came back on, but we also thought Jim Williams had a very good game," Macqueen said. "His workrate was high and we don't necessarily want to rush Kefu into the side. He's only got one-and-a-half games under his belt.
"Kefu's a very good impact player and we've used him that way before, but we're certainly not going to do that all the way through the season."
Smith has put some noses out of joint in rotating his players in the All Blacks' huge wins over Tonga and Scotland this year, but said egos had to be put aside for the good of the team.
"We've got a horses-for-courses approach. It's been a matter for all players to put their egos aside and accept it. We explain to them what we're doing and why we're doing it," Smith said.
"And once the decision's made, they have to accept it and go on supporting their comrades, and Josh is no different.
"Scott Robertson, he's got his own talents, in Josh we've got someone who we know can come on and do the job as well. It's the best 22 to play Australia, that's not to say it's the team we'd select to play South Africa."
Smith stuck with proven crucial combinations, maintaining the front row of Kees Meeuws, Anton Oliver and Carl Hoeft which he said gave the All Blacks an edge over Scotland, half backs Justin Marshall and Andrew Mehrtens and reuniting Alatini with Alama Ieremia.
Australia: C Latham; S Mortlock, D Herbert, J Little, J Roff; S Larkham, G Gregan; J Williams, D Wilson, M Connors, J Eales (capt), D Giffin, F Dyson, M Foley, R Harry. Replacements: R Kafer, A Walker, S Cordingley, T Kefu, T Jaques, G Panoho, J Paul.
New Zealand: C Cullen; T Umaga, A Ieremia, P Alatini, J Lomu; A Mehrtens, J Marshall; R Cribb, S Robertson, T Randell, N Maxwell, T Blackadder (capt), K Meeuws, A Oliver, C Hoeft. Replacements: L MacDonald, T Brown, B Kelleher, J Kronfeld, T Flavell, C Dowd, M Hammett.
