The All Blacks' bench in Hong Kong is so boring. The annual money-grabbing, thrill-the-universe exhibition match is with us again and yet the All Blacks have responded by parking Alby Mathewson and Stephen Donald in the reserves. Yawn.
Maybe Dan Carter's cautious return from injury gives them a rough excuse, but Mathewson and Donald would have been there anyway. The idea in Hong Kong is to push the boundaries and excite the masses, yet you-know-who - Sonny Bill Williams - has been left parked in the stands.
Williams is such a phenomenal publicity drawcard and footballer that Carter could leave his shirt on and no one would give two hoots any more.
It looks as though the All Blacks will persist with two inside back reserves for ever and a day.
Consistently carrying so many spare parts instead of maximising the use of genuine game breakers is old hat, especially when the expectation should be that Carter plays 80 minutes under normal circumstances.
And when the goalkicking Piri Weepu returns he can cover both positions - in case of injury - whether he starts or not.
The All Blacks should pile up the bench with piledrivers.
New Zealand have an amazing array of super-sized weapons at their disposal - the greatest lineup of power runners ever.
Absent players in Hong Kong include Sonny Bill, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Richard Kahui, Rene Ranger, Israel Dagg and Robbie Fruean. I'd back that lot to outplay the blokes who will take the field.
It's not surprising but still disappointing to find that Williams will not get an early shot at the Aussies, with the wayward Isaia Toeava the third back reserve.
They are being over-cautious with SBW.
The All Black coaches love to cloak their world in mystery. They must cast their unique spell over SBW before he could possibly be ready for test action.
Yeah, yeah.
Williams was a league colossus and we know from the ITM Cup he has the goods. He's not a novice either, having joined Toulon in 2008. He's no kid at 25 years old.
As for big game experience - Williams has played in an NRL grand final and seven league tests for the Kiwis. He will change the shape of rugby for New Zealand with his offloads, size and running power.
Williams is more than ready for this high-class introduction, could scare the hell out of the Ockers and also excite the alleged world audience which is more than could be said for the honourable but limited S. Donald.
Mathewson, Donald and Toeava when you've got SBW up your sleeve in Hong Kong? Arrrrrrrrgh.
Dan Carter kicks the ball during the All Blacks captains run at Hong Kong Stadium yesterday. Photo / Getty Images
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