Photos: All Blacks squadKEY POINTS:
Blues captain Troy Flavell made a hurried dash to his car radio to check his chances of an All Black recall.
The 30-year-old lock was comfortable there had been silence from the All Black staff. He figured any phone calls were usually disappointing. He mowed his lawns to
ease the suspense and then got very agitated just before noon.
He couldn't find the necessary radio station in his house and had to scrabble around to listen to the broadcast in his car. He needed to be quick: Flavell was fourth on the alphabetical list read out by Rugby Union chairman Jock Hobbs.
Eleven months after the last of his 17 tests (against Ireland), after surgery to repair a torn chest muscle and a testing Super 14 campaign, Flavell was in the shadow World Cup squad. He had made base camp in the broader plan that lured him back to New Zealand last year from Japan.
He was a fourth lock - with Ali Williams, Chris Jack and Keith Robinson - who could also play at blindside flanker and who will be measured against former All Black captain Reuben Thorne, who is a blindside flanker and might cover lock.
Those scenarios did not worry Flavell yesterday. What was important was he had made the cut. Then it was off to a further afternoon debrief with the Blues, a first catchup with his parents since he returned from a month-long overseas expedition in South Africa and Australia, and then a celebratory family dinner.
"It is a great feeling, especially this year which is so big for New Zealand rugby," Flavell said. "It is something else to get picked again."
Flavell began the Super 14 in hot form and led the Blues to the series lead with consistently strong performances at lock. He conceded his form dipped a bit towards the end of the series and wondered if that would impact on his All Black chances.
"Yeah, it just went a bit and I don't know if that was all the travelling or the length of the tournament," said Flavell, who started all but one of the Blues' 14 games. "Saying that, I think I could have modified my game for the South Africans. I think I might have got into a few bad habits with high body positions against New Zealand and Australian sides because I knew I could win those contacts.
"I was a little concerned about All Blacks selection. I wanted to push my claims and lost a little consistency."
Flavell had been waking in the early hours all week as he battled jetlag but knew a few weeks' R and R - time with friends and family - and he would be "right back into it".
He had played lock throughout the Super 14; it suited the team mix because there were a stack of blindside forwards and one less lock with Ali Williams away on conditioning duty.
"I saw no need to change really. I was comfortable with lock; only a few times did we think about a switch."
Flavell took over as Blues captain from Keven Mealamu and led the side to their first semifinal since 2003, another attribute which would have been in the plus column in his All Black dossier. He appeared to have his discipline under better control, with only two official misdemeanours: he was sinbinned in the first Super 14 game for over-vigorous rucking and then binned again in Africa on reputation and suspicion.