With all the fanciful All Black suggestions evaporating yesterday, the task now is to unravel a starting XV from the same squad picked to play the Springboks next week.
Try matching the selectors' wits.
They may want to play Andrew Mehrtens again to get him ready for the return test with the Wallabies, but Brown showed what a winner his defence was against the Boks, while that is the least powerful part of Mehrtens' game.
For some reason, they have been reluctant to play Marty Holah on the openside.
If they did that and shifted Taine Randell to the blindside, it would mean downgrading the grunt for what will be a bigger physical challenge from South Africa.
But speed may be the All Blacks best asset if the tight five compete sufficiently well. That, and more work for Jonah Lomu.
During the 1995 World Cup the All Blacks received a fax which would be most fitting appropriate now.
It read: "Remember rugby is a team game so all 14 of you pass the ball to Jonah."
From the group that will assemble in Auckland on Monday, this combination appeals - although it will not win the selectors' favour:
Leon MacDonald, Doug Howlett, Tana Umaga, Pita Alatini, Jonah Lomu, Andrew Mehrtens, Byron Kelleher, Taine Randell, Marty Holah, Reuben Thorne, Chris Jack, Troy Flavell, Carl Hayman, Anton Oliver, Carl Hoeft.
Reserves: Justin Marshall, Tony Brown, Jeff Wilson, Ron Cribb, Norm Maxwell, Greg Somerville, Mark Hammett (the other player in the 23 is Mark Cooksley).
All Blacks 2001 test schedule/scoreboard
All Blacks/Maori squads for 2001
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