48 hours: Only the best can employ rotation

Say what you like about rotation, but it was hard to fault Graham Henry at the weekend after the All Blacks completed their 20th consecutive win on home soil.

At a time when South African, Australian and English supporters have been peeping between their fingers at their own coaching staff, Henry has been stitching together one of the All Blacks' most compelling tenures, even though controversy seems to stalk his every move.

It's unlikely to be any different today either; much of the water cooler conversation revolving around - not the All Blacks hard-fought 35-17 win over the Springboks - but whether Henry had been right to make eight changes to the previous winning combination.

Oh, that we should be so lucky. Here's Australia searching for a front row, England for a backline, and South Africa for some imagination - and all we have to complain about is rotation.

From this distant viewpoint, it looks like Henry is already starting to become a victim of his own success.

The first time I'd ever heard of the 'R' word in professional sport was when the Australian cricket selectors began dabbling with the concept during the most influential part of Steve Waugh's career.

At the time, the Australian team were in the middle of their world record sequence of test wins, were almost unbeatable in the one-day game, and were the undisputed champions of their industry.

Few nations, with the possible exception of the United States, celebrate winning and dislike losing as much as the Australians - yet here were Trevor Hohns and company deliberately diluting their selections.

It didn't go down well over there, either. Angry fans rang radio talkback and penned letters to the editors, outraged that national heroes such as Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting and Glenn McGrath were not playing in their towns.

The same story was played out in New Zealand last week, as supporters of Jerry Collins, Keven Mealamu and Tony Woodcock - among others - registered their irritation over the players' non-selection.

They should at least take solace from the fact that only the very best teams can employ such a policy, and that long-term goals (think William Webb Ellis) are likely to overshadow minor short-term sacrifice.

They should also remember that, at a time when collectives are continually whining about burn-out caused by an ever-increasing playing schedule, the only genuine solution is to use more players.

Therefore, if you really want Jerry, Richie or Carl playing in the biggest games of the season, it's important the New Zealand selectors pick and choose their outings with considerable care and precision.

There's also this small business of the World Cup. No one could deny that the All Blacks are the No 1 side in terms of conventional tours and series, but the same could not be said of their ranking in tournament play.

Tournaments are fundamentally different. They are compacted, played on neutral territory, and more often than not teams are unable to field their preferred combinations in key games.

There is a need for contingencies, options. Players who might have a role suddenly thrust upon them must be adequately equipped with experience and confidence. Much better to prepare for the unexpected than concentrate on a dream XV.

For all that, whether Saturday's changes were motivated by rotation or strategy remains a moot point in some quarters. Reuben Thorne, though not packing the same ball-carrying power of Collins, appeared to help New Zealand repel South Africa's lineout drive and was also a useful source of possession from his own team's throw.

Piri Weepu was typically combative, Ali Williams put himself about; the scrum was dominant and the lineout was arguably better than it was a fortnight ago against Australia.

But even if the changes were driven by experimentation, so be it. Henry owes it to himself, his team and the New Zealand rugby public to make the most of the dominating position in which he's found himself.

As an industry leader, its incumbent on him to preserve the advantage by continually searching for a way forward, improving his team's tactics, performance and its depth of player resources.

To stand still now would be fatal, and Henry knows this. As good as the current crop is, he must keep developing and evolving.


High

The Silver Ferns' 52-40 win over Australia at Brisbane, and particularly the huge impact of teenage goal-attack Maria Tutaia, who helped to blow away the hosts in the first two quarters.

Low

Anton Oliver's throwing stance. Talk about contradicting the forces of biomechanics. If a machine tried the same action it would fly apart in seconds. Why doesn't he just step into his throw like everyone else?