Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Waisake Naholo and Brad Weber. Photos / Getty and Photosport.
Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Waisake Naholo and Brad Weber. Photos / Getty and Photosport.
World Cup years are about blending the old and new; striking the balance between trusted, experienced horses and those colts bolting out the gate. Timing is everything for rookies eager to crack the ultimate stage.
Steve Hansen enjoys a punt and knows a thing or two about horses. Throughout hisAll Blacks tenure, instinctive selection has been one of Hansen's strongest attributes.
Newbies always grab attention but a squad of 39 for the first two Rugby Championship tests against Argentina and South Africa skews the initial picture, somewhat.
Eight players will be cut between now and World Cup departure in less than two months - and that's before Scott Barrett and probably Ryan Crotty slot back into this mix.
The brutal process of wilting down has already begun, with those to miss this squad revealing the shifting paradigm from pure faith in incumbents to those staking irrepressible claims.
Already there is no room for Nathan Harris and Waisake Naholo – two experienced figures regularly used by the All Blacks over the past four years. Akira Ioane, Luke Whitelock, David Havili, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi and Tyrel Lomax also miss out.
Havili can be considered unlucky while Sevu Reece is the classic case of form horse overtaking Naholo, the 26-test finisher preparing to leave New Zealand rugby for London Irish.
Conversely Reece, Luke Jacobson, Brad Weber and Braydon Ennor are all firmly in the World Cup frame.
Sevu Reece. Photo / Getty
Third-choice playmaker Josh Ioane, called in to cover Damian McKenzie's first five-eighth brief, sits more in the grooming category. His selection caps a remarkable rise, given he played for Samoa under-20s in 2015.
Navigating challenging circumstances comes with the territory for the All Blacks. Rugby is not just about what happens on the field. Like any profession, external aspects impact everyday life and that is why we can only give Liam Squire the upmost respect in his decision to make himself unavailable.
Mental health does not differentiate for fame.
For the All Blacks, Squire's absence robs them of their best blindside flanker and means the trial to fill his role goes on. At his peak, Squire will be difficult to replace.
Vaea Fifita, Shannon Frizell, Dalton Papalii, Jacobson, Sam Cane and Jackson Hemopo are all candidates to be stationed there in the Rugby Championship.
With no clear cut standout candidate at six, the All Blacks could travel to Japan with two or three options to roll out, depending on the nature of the opposition.
Squire's unavailability - and subsequent inability to cover No 8 - adds to the surprise around Akira Ioane's non-selection.
In leaving out the Blues' boot man, the All Blacks have opted to select one specialist eight in Kieran Read, with Ardie Savea's speed off the back of the scrum clearly doing enough to prove his worth as deputy.
No doubt Ioane will attempt to make a statement with New Zealand Māori but his card appears marked with this selection panel.
In the cases of Harris and Tahuriorangi the All Blacks have broken ranks to discard, for now at least, their third-choice hooker and halfback late in the piece.
Hurricanes hooker Asafo Aumua is probably one on the fringe, along with third-choice openside Matt Todd.
Liam Coltman is expected to have the inside running for the third hooking role while Weber's brilliant season and support lines with the Chiefs rightly earned him a recall, four years after his test debut in Samoa.
Performance will now largely dictate selection for the final few spots in highly contested areas. There is a big step up required from Super Rugby to handling the pressure and scrutiny that comes with donning the black jersey in the test arena.
Ennor and Reece must take potentially limited chances when they arrive, and that may not be until after the opening Pumas test with the Crusaders set to be mostly rested following the Super Rugby final.
With Crotty out for up to two months with a fractured thumb, Ngani Laumape also has plenty to gain before the squeeze comes on the congested midfield. The same goes for Patrick Tuipulotu who will be looking over his shoulder at Hemopo's versatility.
Such intense competition for places is an envious position. Balance, versatility, depth, the All Blacks have in spades.
Once again, Hansen's men will start World Cup favourites.
