All Blacks: Tour gives answers, but raises questions

Rhys Webb (left) of Wales bursts past the challenge of Dane Coles (centre) and Brodie Retallick (right) of the All Blacks. Photo / Getty Images

Selectors face dilemma of who to leave out as players stake claims to Cup squad.

The All Blacks are coming home to New Zealand with just about as many questions as they have answers to issues that will inevitably pop up in World Cup year.

What their four-match northern tour has told them is that they now have four first-fives to choose from, a potential superstar in Patrick Tuipulotu and a need to catch up with Andy Ellis and tell him to bring out his A-game in 2015.

Personnel-wise, the All Blacks pretty much have the lot covered. They have the quality in every position and the depth in most to carry a level of confidence.

Watch: All Blacks: Read and Barrett

Having had a look at all of the serious World Cup contenders except Ireland and France, the All Blacks have signed off in 2014 knowing they have the skills, mental strength and fitness to compete with everyone.

There are no gaping holes in their armoury; no real areas of concern now that Dane Coles has emerged so well at hooker and Keven Mealamu defies his age in the back-up role. Not so unusually, the question they face next year is knowing who to leave out.

"We have learned a lot of valuable lessons which we will be able to start addressing next year," says All Black coach Steve Hansen.

"Some players have asked some real big questions of the selectors by their form. You get someone like Sladey [Colin Slade] doing what he's doing and he's telling us that he's good enough to be in the 31 ... as are a number of guys.

"Joe Moody ... we have found out a bit about him and I think Charlie Faumuina has been outstanding and we have been tested in all the games."

Hansen's future is a question that has also unexpectedly cropped up, with the New Zealand Rugby Union willing to offer him a contract extension well ahead of the tournament.

The ball is in Hansen's court on that - it's effectively up to him to decide whether he has the desire and motivation to stay on for two more years. He's giving little away on that, but would like the situation to be resolved one way or another before the next season kicks off.

If he stays on, it will create a unique scenario of an All Black coach not having the World Cup weighing so heavily on his shoulders. He'll be able to plan, prepare and analyse without the fear of his job being dependent on the outcome.

That's probably a good thing, but definitely a good thing is that his reappointment, should it come, will take away the need for endless speculation in the build-up as to who might be in the running for the job if the All Blacks bomb.

There is one other major issue that is brewing ahead of next year - the growing trend of teams wasting time when they play the All Blacks.

Every side seems to commit to this idea of the All Blacks being fitter and therefore shift into the mindset of doing what they can to slow thegame.

England did it at Eden Park this year and Wales went up a level on the front in Cardiff. The first half took close to 50 minutes. At almost every scrum, lineout or stoppage a Welsh player signalled for medical attention.

All Black captain Richie McCaw made several inquiries of referee Wayne Barnes why he was letting it happen and didn't receive a response.

The World Cup could be turned into a farce if teams are allowed to replicate the Welsh go-slow tactics and it is surely something the IRB will tackle ahead of the tournament by encouraging referees to have zero tolerance for it.

"Yeah, it is frustrating," says All Black No8 Kieran Read. "Every set-piece something was happening but we have had that before this year from a couple of teams ... but what can you do ... ?