KEY POINTS:
Spare a thought for Chris Heard. The Auckland prop played in 10 of Auckland's 12 matches this season but has been dropped for tomorrow night's provincial final against Wellington to make room for All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu.
Coach Pat Lam named the same starting line-up that defeated
Hawkes Bay in last week's semifinal but has drafted in Mealamu and Isaia Toeava on the bench.
Mealamu's recall was particularly crucial, as the side had played all season without proper cover at hooker, Lam said.
Tactically the decision was a no-brainer, but it left the unlucky Heard as the odd man out.
"It was a tough call," Lam said.
"It came down to the risk of having just one hooker in the squad. Everyone knew after we picked Saimone [Taumoepeau] for the Southland game that we could be in trouble there and we have been very fortunate to get away with it.
"If we lost Tom [McCartney] in the first five minutes, were we going to be comfortable with Saimone at hooker for 75 minutes?
"We have taken that risk the whole season, and then suddenly you have got Keven back. It is not just anyone; he is a legend, the best hooker in the world. It makes sense."
Giving Heard the bad news hadn't been easy, Lam said.
"It is the hardest thing in coaching, but I have to do it every week. At the end of the day, when you take the emotion out of it and you sit down and look at what is best for the team, it would irresponsible for me to go into a game not covering that position when we had the option."
Wellington have also named two All Blacks on the bench, but those moves are injury enforced.
Rodney So'oialo will provide loose forward cover on the bench in place of Serge Lilo, and Conrad Smith is in for injured captain Tamati Ellison.
Ma'a Nonu has switched from wing to second five-eighths in place of Ellison, with Hosea Gear given the start on the wing.
Mealamu hasn't played for Auckland this season but he isn't anticipating any problems slotting straight back into the pressure cooker atmosphere of a final.
"I have played under Pat for a while now, so fitting in has been easy," he said. "The guys around me make it a lot easier as well."
Playing for Auckland would help him get over the disappointment of the All Blacks' shock World Cup.
"Some days you think about it, what could have been. But I suppose the more you think about it the longer it is going to stay around, so I have put that behind me to focus on what is at hand this week."
Having been forced to sit out the quarter-final defeat by France after picking up an injury during the warm-up, Mealamu was grateful for the chance to get on the field again.
"Hopefully, I can help out these guys here. I'm keen to go out and there and get some gametime."
