Henry forced to test his depth gauge

Test debutant Luke McAlister during training for the third test. Picture / Paul Estcourt

Only last week, coach Graham Henry voiced the need to swell the All Blacks' player depth and selection choices.

That goal underpinned some of Henry's thinking as he discussed altering his side for the second test in Wellington.

With a surfeit of backline options, the All Blacks glided through to a sumptuous victory.

But that comfort has dissipated for today's Lions tour finale at Eden Park with the injury absences of Daniel Carter, Richie McCaw, Aaron Mauger and Leon MacDonald.

"Going forward, the team needs to have more than one player ready for international rugby at every position. It is part of our strategy to develop and maintain that depth," Henry said last week.

"We went into the last World Cup and had to play some guys out of position in the quarter-final and semifinal and we do not want to get into that situation in the future."

The multiple absences today have intensified the pressure on the All Blacks. This will be a thorough examination of the coaching, motivation and playing resources.

Henry has been critical of some previous All Black regimes he felt had not dovetailed the needs for immediate results with long-term development.

Testing the limits of those theories would not have been in the All Black plan at the start of the test series but Henry and his captain, Tana Umaga, were trying to put some gloss on it yesterday.

There was nothing like the disruption of unwanted changes to channel the team's energies on a series clean-sweep.

"We can't rely on just 15 players every week with the length of these international seasons," said Umaga.

"So this could be a very opportune time for us to test our depth and give these guys an opportunity to show their wares.

"Even though it is not what we wanted, it could turn out well for us."

Henry had a similar stance, saying the All Blacks had to respond to the enforced changes.

Openside flanker Rodney So'oialo had a similar physique to the injured McCaw, perhaps even more pace, and today was a chance for him and the reconstituted backrow with Sione Lauaki and Jerry Collins.

Luke McAlister had been the star of the Junior All Blacks tour to Australia, a midfielder who could kick goals but Henry also thought he was a first five-eighths.

It would be great if he could develop like Carter, who was playing international rugby a year ago as a second five-eighths, until shifted for the end-of-year tour to Europe.

This is a massive start to McAlister's test career. He has plenty of physical attributes, with his step, pass and kicking skills, but there are questions about his ability to run matches, yet, at the higher levels.

The Lions may have had their woes but they are a serious group for him to be measured against.

And for the rest of the All Blacks, they have to treat this game like a World Cup final. They have battled through different weather and opposition in the last two tests; they have one more match they must win.

Enter the forwards, a group who have held up against two Lions packs but must do it again to allow the speed, continuity and width of the All Black gameplan to flourish.

The Lions have been kept fresh, coach Eddie O'Sullivan saying there was no point in burdening them with training in new concepts.

"This was about getting a new headset on for a new game," he said.

A final game where the Lions had the opportunity to prove they were better than their first two tests. The mood was fine; there had been no noticeable drop in their spirit.

Even with the shocking events in London, there was no feeling that the players were thinking of the departure lanes at Mangere Airport.

The Lions, added coach Andy Robinson, had not got the width of game they wanted on this tour. Both sides had taken some time to recover physically from the opening two tests, and that was part of the unknown today.

The New Zealand forwards' continuity skills had been impressive and that was something his side needed to develop. It was something England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales would take out of the Super 12, having played against an All Black team which could execute under pressure, at pace and with a great deal of width.