Somerville rejoins starting line-up for his 50th test

Greg Somerville readily acknowledges that experience does not guarantee a test cap. Ross Land / Getty Images

BUENOS AIRES - Greg Somerville may be an elder statesman of the All Blacks' front row but readily acknowledges that experience does not guarantee a test cap as World Cup plotting intensifies.

The versatile Crusaders prop plays his 50th test against Argentina in Buenos Aires tomorrow - a notable achievement given the wealth of front row options available to head coach Graham Henry.

"They have used a few props in the past few months - it's not easy to get a test these days so I'm pretty stoked to get there," Somerville admitted.

For a "few", read eight in the past 12 months, a statistic that had the Welsh green with envy after they lost to the Pumas 25-47 last week.

"They couldn't believe we had the depth to use eight international props in a year," said All Blacks scrum expert Mike Cron. "They were amazed we had that many options."

While a number of candidates for those energy-sapping, injury-prone positions is mana from heaven for Henry and forwards co-ordinator Steve Hansen, it doesn't enhance job security for the players - and Somerville had already seen his role modified.

He was a specialist tighthead when he entered the test arena against Tonga in 2000, but the resurgence of Otago's Carl Hayman in 2004 and the anointing of Tony Woodcock as the premier loosehead have forced the 28-year-old to settle for a floating substitute role.

Somerville will make an increasingly rare start at Velez Sarsfield in what will be his third joust with the Pumas. In his last 15 tests, nine, including the last four, have been cameos off the bench to cover either loosehead or tighthead, and although his preference is to start, he is happy with his lot.

"It's not the easiest but when you look at how Tony and Carl have been going, you can see why. At least by learning how to play loosehead I've been able to stay in the side and get stripped for the weekend. It has been a role change but I can contribute to this team in different ways now."

Somerville remains an important facet of the players' leadership group, earning plaudits from Hansen this week for his contribution, longevity and work ethic.

Although clearly valued in the All Blacks set-up, Somerville was confronted with nagging doubts about his future when a calf injury ruled him out of the last year's end of season Grand Slam tour.

"It always crosses your mind as a player - will you get back? You never know when it's going to be your last game, or your last chance, so it's great to be here."

An impressive Super 14 campaign with the champion Crusaders - where he shared the propping roles with Campbell Johnstone and Wyatt Crockett - was enough to win him test selection for the first time since the Tri-Nations final against the Wallabies at Eden Park in September.

His primary goal now is selection to the initial 30-man Tri-Nations squad to be named when the All Blacks return to Auckland on Tuesday and a second World Cup campaign is also a target.

Cron believed Somerville was easily capable of making the squad for France next year but acknowledged that a greater emphasis on unearthing scrummaging options ensured competition would be intense before the field was narrowed to four.

"It's unheard of, but we're developing our pool [of props] efficiently," Cron said. "When Clarke Dermody ran on to the field against Ireland, he was the eighth prop we've used in 12 months."

The others were Somerville, Hayman, Woodcock, Johnstone, Neemia Tialata, John Afoa and Saimone Taumoepeau.

"It's a credit to our programme to get them up, technically and physically, to a very high level so we're in a position where we can pick them," Cron said. "If they went from Super 14 to international level without tuition they'd get killed. "There's still time for others ... Wyatt Crockett and John Schwalger are promising looseheads. We're in a position where we could almost predict who could be our 2011 World Cup props."

- NZPA