Buffet of brawn vast, yet plate so small

How could they not want to see Nehe Milner-Skudder in a test-match environment? Photo / Getty Images

Going out in town is a tough business these days. Bars used to offer three types of beer and any food you liked as long as it could be deep fried. Nowadays, you need a thesaurus just to get through the beer menu and an intimate knowledge of the culinary vernacular of seven languages to order something from the kitchen.

Of course, much of this can be blamed on passing fads, which explains why every second food outlet in New Zealand is now selling tacos and why people insist on ruining perfectly good smoothies with kale and chia seeds. This will pass, of course, and we'll move on to the next exciting culinary wonder, like coffee from the undigested beans shat out by monkeys.

Sometimes, though, one pines for the classics, the things that remain unaffected by changing tastes or the petty whims of a fickle taste bud. Sometimes, you just want to go the tried and tested route. And why? Well, because these things are comforting, invariably satisfying, and unfailingly familiar. Because, you can trust them.

Which brings us rather neatly to the small matter of the buffet of brawn that Steve Hansen and friends stand before. Oh, how onerous the task ahead of this coaching team, knowing full well they must make some sacrifices at the selection table. The range is so vast, yet the plate is too small.

The choice is staggering, really. There is all manner of spicy numbers to choose from: fragrantly seasoned stars of Super Rugby, triple hopped, double malted, cask conditioned athletes, and flame-grilled wunderkinds. How could they not want a taste of it all?

How could they not want to see Nehe Milner-Skudder in a test-match environment? Who could blame them for wanting to give the rampaging Waisake Naholo a spin on the wing? James Broadhurst may well prove too good to resist in the second row and Lima Sopoaga's Super Rugby form has been very easy to digest.

And yet, the classics remain in this team - the meat and potatoes of the All Blacks' degustation, the players who have satisfied even the fussiest of palates. They are the players who have experience, and with that experience comes composure, and the ability to perform over a long time under the most intense pressures.

As much as we all like something new, it would be unwise to turn our backs on the players who have delivered before, and there are several whose contributions have been greatly underestimated over the last few weeks.

How quick the writing off of Andy Ellis after a Samoan test in which he battled away against a perennially offside defensive line, provided stability behind a breakdown that was, at best, unpoliced, and did his best to hold the insides to give Dan Carter some decent ball to work with.

How quick the forgetfulness when it comes to the defensive intuition of Cory Jane - a man whose ability under the high ball and vision for a counter-attack opportunity is all but peerless. Last time I looked, wingers didn't spend the whole 80 minutes on the end of the attacking chain.

Everywhere you go there are calls for certain veterans to be put out to pasture. Well, not from this table. Experience wins world titles. Experience is the difference between making a good decision and making a complete balls-up. Experience gives clarity, and clarity ensures execution.

When the Rugby World Cup hosts England were last in New Zealand, coach Stuart Lancaster spoke of his desire to build test caps, to have a team in 2015 that was going to be experienced enough to compete for the title. Steve Hansen understands this and while he will delight in the chance to sample the new and exotic over the next few weeks, he knows the players who have been there before deserve every chance to prove they should be there again.

There's nothing wrong with trying something new but, equally, there is a lot to be said for sticking to what you know.

As Paulo Coelho once said, "All wines should be tasted; some should only be sipped, but with others, drink the whole bottle."