Why we shuffled the team - Henry

By WYNNE GRAY

Former All Black greats have been spooked by it, others claim it devalues the deeds of those who have created such a mystique about New Zealand rugby.

Coach Graham Henry acknowledges those concerns, but is adamant the All Blacks will only keep improving if the selectors shuffle their choices or rotate players.

He feels it is especially important as the test players work through the domestic stage of their season in preparation for the Tri-Nations series, then the end-of-year tour.

"We have picked 26 and we have got to play them," Henry said yesterday. "In this professional age there is an expectation from everybody that they will get a chance to show their ability.

"In the amateur days we would pick a team for a test, then do it again, but those days are gone.

"These guys are also playing a lot more rugby. They have a number of games they have got to get up for and if we don't look after them they will fall over." The philosophy of interchanging All Blacks began to get more traction after the 1999 World Cup when the present assistant coach, Wayne Smith, took over as head of the staff.

With an increased workload for All Blacks and a reduction in tour matches, a change in selection rationale appeared.

It went to another level in late 2002 when coach John Mitchell left 21 senior players to rest or recuperate instead of taking them on a three-test tour to Europe.

After two enormously physical tests against England this month, Henry and his selectors have made 10 changes for Saturday's clash with Argentina.

"There is no point in having these guys sitting idle," Henry said. "We are a group of 26, not 15 test players plus 11 others."

Forwards coach Steve Hansen concurred, saying the players had been working on new strategies and systems since training for the national trial.

"This is an opportunity for the blokes who have been doing all the extra stuff as the opposition, to have a crack themselves," Hansen said.

"If we want to build a team that is a true side then everyone has to have an opportunity to play. I think it would be naive to go through so many hard tests and have everyone stay fit enough.

"We also have a Tri-Nations to play and we have to have faith in those selected, they're champing at the bit. It is an opportunity to say 'I am the boy' for the next selection, I want to be in the side."

The All Black pack chosen for Saturday has a combined total of 112 caps, six more than the group selected for the opening test against England at Carisbrook.

The alterations give some, such as Greg Somerville and Jerry Collins, who were regular All Blacks last year, the chance to reassert their claims to be top choices.

"They all want to play at test level all the time," Henry said. "But we have to look after people, and we also need to be thinking ahead in case we get injuries. We cannot afford to have some who have not played for a long time."