KEY POINTS:
Ryan Nelsen's continued absence may be a blow for the All Whites but it at least gives the likes of Andy Boyens a chance to follow in his footsteps.
With the Blackburn Rovers skipper remaining in England to await the birth of his first child, Boyens looks sure
to get the nod in central defence for next Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Vanuatu in Port Vila.
The Toronto FC defender will look to add to his growing reputation after standout performances in New Zealand's last two matches - his first full internationals - a 2-2 draw in Wales and a 2-0 win in Fiji.
"He has always been excellent in the All Whites environment," says All Whites coach Ricki Herbert of Boyens.
"He took his opportunity very well in the Wales game, as did a number of lesser experienced players. He and Ben Sigmund picked up the central defensive positions extremely well."
Herbert may be tempted to renew their partnership in Port Vila and push Ivan Vicelich forward into midfield.
When the two nations last met at the Oceania Nations Cup in Adelaide three years ago, Vanuatu won 4-2, a result which ultimately eliminated the All Whites from the 2006 World Cup.
Boyens was part of the squad but didn't play. "It was not a nice game to be watching from the bench," he says.
But he has first-hand experience of just how tough Vanuatu can be to beat. He was part of a New Zealand under-23 team given a torrid time by Vanuatu in an Olympic qualifier at North Harbour Stadium almost four years ago - New Zealand won 3-2 after trailing 2-0.
"The Pacific Island sides are very physical, with pace all over the field and I don't imagine this will be any different," says Boyens of the upcoming Vanuatu games.
He got a taste of just how physical games in the islands can get in Fiji last month, when a head clash left him with a gash above his left eye which needed a dozen stitches.
Despite the swelling and bleeding restricting his vision, Boyens was one of the best in an All Whites side which kicked off their 2010 World Cup campaign with a win in Lautoka.
"The football wasn't 100 per cent and there are things which can be improved but to get a result after a tough week, with the political aspect, was great," says Boyens.
The 24-year-old's display in Fiji followed on from the impressive performance that announced his international arrival - the draw against Wales in May.
There were fears the All Whites would cop a hammering after supposedly stronger New Zealand teams had been outclassed 4-0 and 5-0 in games two months earlier.
But an inexperienced side gained a 2-2 draw in Wrexham, with none better than Boyens and Sigmund - playing his second international seven years after his first - and two-goal hero Shane Smeltz.
Boyens swapped jerseys and banter after the match with Welsh midfielder Carl Robinson, also his captain at Toronto. "When we got home, the other boys in the [Toronto] squad gave him grief about drawing with us."
This was Toronto's first year of Major League Soccer and the competition's only Canadian outfit finished bottom of the Eastern Conference with six wins, seven draws and 17 defeats.
Toronto coach Mo Johnston traded several players early on, with Boyens one of the few who featured consistently throughout the season, appearing in 23 of the 30 matches. Of the 27 players fielded by Johnston, only four got more game time than him.
"I got a lot of minutes against a calibre of player I hadn't faced before," says Boyens of his first MLS season. "I've progressed a lot playing at this level."
Despite struggling to win, Toronto enjoyed great support, with every home game a 20,000 sellout and 20,000 more on a season ticket waiting list, says Boyens.
In their last home game of the season, Toronto came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with the New England Revolution, who will next weekend contest their third consecutive MLS grand final.
"The crowd went absolutely ballistic. Everyone is pretty confident we'll do a lot better next year."
Confident enough that former Scottish international Johnston has been re-appointed coach for another two years. Johnston had a reputation as a wild man during his playing days.
In his autobiography, Alex Ferguson recounted an incident involving Johnston during his days in charge of Scotland. The night after Scotland had clinched qualification for the 1986 World Cup against Australia in Melbourne, a Scottish official was woken in the early hours by someone banging on his hotel room door. He looked through a peephole to see Johnston and a woman in the corridor - both were completely naked.
"I'm sure he's calmed down from his playing days but he's definitely still a fiery character," says Boyens. He is the sixth New Zealander to play in the MLS, after Nelsen, Simon Elliott, Duncan Oughton, Cameron Knowles and Tony Lochhead. For Nelsen and Elliott, the MLS proved a springboard into the English Premier League.
"Watching those guys do so well was a huge eye opener. I've only had one season but I'm keen to have another good one and then start looking at my options," says Boyens.