Rugby: All Blacks social media team throws hospital pass to poor Sir John Kirwan

John Kirwan reacts after seeing how his perfectly good team was butchered by the All Blacks Twitter account. Photo / Getty

For half an hour on a dull Thursday night, the All Blacks' social media had us all wondering what on earth Sir John Kirwan was thinking.

In a promotion for fans to pick their own All Blacks starting XV for the first test against France, the All Blacks had Kirwan share his selections for the starting lineup.

A reasonable idea to foster debate, and so Kirwan's team was shared on Twitter -where fans reacted incredulously.

In what seemed like the most baffling selections by a former great athlete since Wynton Rufer suggested playing Rory Fallon on the wing and Andrew Durante at right back for the All Whites against Peru, Kirwan's picks had several out-of-the-box ideas.

John Kirwan reacts after seeing how his perfectly good team was butchered by the All Blacks Twitter account. Photo / Getty

Yes, that's right, Sonny Bill Williams is on the wing, while last year's top test winger, Rieko Ioane, is shifted to centre. Not only that, but the starting props are placed around the wrong way, Waisake Naholo's name is spelled incorrectly, and suddenly Luke Whitelock is the nation's best number seven?

Surely Kirwan, the former Blues, Italy and Japan coach, wouldn't be so silly, and sure enough, he had been tossed a hospital pass by the All Blacks graphic department.

After plenty of stunned feedback, the erroneous tweet was deleted and later replaced by Kirwan's real team - a team with all the players in the correct positions, and one which could be a real shout to be the actual starting XV against France come the first test.

What do you think of Sir John Kirwan's #AllBlacks Starting XV?

Can you do better?

PICK YOURS HERE: https://t.co/hQJBvPO6O7 pic.twitter.com/5jGa3ufw5d

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) May 24, 2018

Ah, John. We never should have doubted thee.

Though, since the All Blacks accidentally mentioned it, Sonny Bill Williams on the wing would be a fun experiment to watch....