All Blacks: All change for Lansdowne Rd

Traditional supporters and those with an affection for history will mourn the decision but the All Black selectors are determined they will not die wondering.

They have refused to be constrained by convention or shackled by the prospect of emulating their 1978 predecessors who achieved the Grand Slam.

Ireland may be the second leg in that quest but for these All Black selectors it is, primarily, an international to gauge others in the 35-man squad - in fact an entirely different side from that which smeared Wales.

The mass overhaul will amplify debate about the merits of eyeing the demands of the 2007 World Cup against the need to get the top players in the best shape for the following test with England.

Some, such as regular captain Tana Umaga, who was untidy against Wales, Carl Hayman and Jerry Collins seem to fare better with repeated matchplay but are denied that because of the rotation policy.

Instead, Richie McCaw will captain the All Blacks for the second time, at the Lansdowne Rd ground where he made his exhilarating test debut four years ago.

His cohorts include a few who look more spare-parts than top-grade but they should also be far too strong for an Irish side missing players such as Brian O'Driscoll, Paul O'Connell and Denis Hickie.

The all-change All Black selection leaves Nick Evans to direct the backline after originally missing selection for the tour while lock Jason Eaton will make his international debut before his introduction to the Super 14.

Tighthead prop John Afoa will also make his debut, with the squad's teenage utility, Isaia Toeava, the solitary tourist yet to start an international.

Those returning to test action after some time are No 8 Mose Tuiali'i, who missed much of this year with a back complaint, and wing Sitiveni Sivivatu, who was also troubled by injury after the Lions series.

On several occasions, coach Graham Henry has declared this tour is about developing player depth and sifting talent for the 2007 World Cup. Confirmation of that policy came with the test formation for Ireland.

Evans has played all four of his tests at fullback and while he was encouraged by the selectors to switch position and province, they seemed to then cool in their assessment of his talent.
Luke McAlister and Leon MacDonald were preferred as first five-eighths this season but Evans won a reprieve when McAlister was injured again before the tour.

Eaton will join Ali Williams as an unlikely pairing in the second row. Williams was in some doubt after damaging his shoulder in some post-NPC victory high-jinks and Eaton was a surprise pick out of the same competition.

The next chapter arrived when Henry and Co took their extreme test selection step, one which is unprecedented in recent times but emulates three others in New Zealand's celebrated rugby history.

The Great War and World War II both delivered an entire overhaul of the All Blacks.

The team which played the Springboks in 1921 had none of those who played in the previous test against the Wallabies in 1914 and it was a similar scenario from the 1938 test against Australia to the 1946 fixture against the Wallabies.

One other complete change was more quirky. In 1949 New Zealand had test teams playing in South Africa and at home on one September weekend, the domestic side lost to the Wallabies at Wellington and the next day the touring side lost to the Boks in Durban.

After the Cavaliers were banned in early 1986, the All Blacks started their next test with 13 changes and there have been times, such as the 1999 World Cup, when 11 changes occurred.

Henry has not been afraid to make multiple alterations before. Last year he made 10 changes for the test against Argentina, 11 for the Pacific Islanders and 10 for the end of year test against Wales.

* Britain's Independent reports that former All Black Justin Marshall's run in the English premiership isn't getting any better. His Leeds side are rooted to the bottom of the 12-team competition after losing to top placed Sale 17-11 at the weekend. But Marshall was lucky to make the final whistle - on the field at any rate. With five minutes to go the halfback, well-known for complaining about cheap shots from rivals, made an unprovoked attack on Sale's French prop Lionel Faure.

The 1.86m, 114kg front rower took exception and punched Marshall repeatedly in retaliation.

Faure was shown the red card, and Marshall, still standing, was sent to the sin bin.