KEY POINTS:
The All Blacks have flouted an unwritten rugby rule. If you dominated a strong side like the Springboks at set-piece there was a theory that you didn't alter your pack.
They ignored that yesterday when they made two changes to their side, both in the forwards, for the return Tri-Nations test against the Boks on Saturday in Dunedin.
One change was inevitable, the introduction of fledgling lock Anthony Boric for the suspended Brad Thorn, but the other was more of a surprise.
Senior tighthead prop Greg Somerville was given a breather and his place taken by the 24-year-old John Afoa who has been on the injured roster since damaging his knee in the initial test this season against Ireland.
Afoa has played one club match for his University side in Auckland and that proof of his fitness has persuaded the selectors to return him to the test team this weekend.
It is a slim workload but the selectors obviously have any number of reasons for getting the young tighthead back into work.
He was in strong Super 14 form throughout most of that series, Somerville is heading offshore at the end of the year and the selectors need to get as much test rugby as they can into Afoa. They also believe that the Boks are not the frontrow force they used to be and that Afoa's extra mobility will be useful against the tourists.
Those conclusions could be drawn although coach Graham Henry and his selectors have been working extra hard to talk up the task which faces them when test rugby returns to Carisbrook after a three year breather.
"Just as an opening comment, I think this test will be much tougher than last week," Henry said in starting his appraisal of the assignment.
The All Blacks have not played a test at Carisbrook for three years and 34 internationals - half of those at home - since they squeaked in 31-27 against the Boks in 2005.
Only four All Blacks return from that test - fullback Mils Muliaina, captain Rodney So'oialo, lock Ali Williams and loosehead prop Tony Woodcock, while Afoa was in the squad then but had not made his debut.
Since their 19-8 Wellington defeat at the weekend, Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has suggested the All Blacks scrummed illegally and had been penalised more than 20 times in their previous tests for those sort of misdemeanours.
"We pride ourselves on our scrum, we work very hard on it - that's all I'd like to say," Henry said in response.
Forwards coach Steve Hansen made similar comments and bullishly added that the All Blacks were looking favourably towards that scrummaging task again this weekend.
"I think he [Afoa] is at the beginning of what's going to be an outstanding career really. He struggled initially as a scrummager, he would be the first one to tell you that, but over the last 12 months he has really developed and under that tutelage he has made big progress."
The selectors were confident Afoa's recent rugby diet of one club game, some wrestling and other fitness work was sufficient for his test return.
He was not a Carl Hayman but he was technically proficient and brought other attributes to his game which the offshore-contracted Hayman may not have possessed. It was too early to tell yet whether Afoa and others would come on sufficiently to keep another departing prop, Somerville, out of the end of year tour.
The selectors had confidence in the ability of young lock Boric to cope with the basics at scrum, lineout and kickoff while he was very mobile and brought other dimensions to his play.
"He has made a lot of progress in the short time he has been with us and we are really confident he will play well. I have no doubt about how he will cope with it mentally, he is a very intelligent young man and he has got good systems in place to allow him to go out and perform, so no worries there," Hansen suggested.
Williams was more sore than last week but his ankle was stable while Kevin O'Neill was another young man with a huge frame who did the basics well.
Openside flanker Daniel Braid had been training with the squad after recovering from a calf strain. He was scheduled to play two games of club rugby and a Ranfurly Shield defence next week to get him back into play so the selectors could judge if he was ready to join the All Black squad.
