All Blacks: Backline a work in progress at Rugby World Cup

Versatile Israel Dagg could start at full back or on the wing. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Picking the All Black pack is straight-forward but the backline might be a case of biffing the names from the top of the stairs and seeing how they fall.

So many of the backline are interchangeable that settling on seven backs and the subs bench might have taken up more selection discussion than normal for Sunday's Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Argentina.

Take Piri Weepu. He could take his versatile talents to halfback, first five-eighths or the bench in permutations that would have ripple effects throughout the backline.

Or Israel Dagg. He could start at fullback where coach Graham Henry prefers him, on the wing which would leave Mils Muliaina to start his 100th test, or he could cover multiple roles from the pine.

There are injuries to consider. Zac Guildford has twinged a hamstring and moved out of the frame for duty on the wing while Dagg has been favouring a haematoma on his thigh and could be given another week to fully repair.

That will be cleared up when coach Graham Henry announces his side this morning, but let's focus on the pack.

It's hard to stray beyond the standard eight - Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu, Owen Franks, Brad Thorn, Sam Whitelock, Jerome Kaino, Richie McCaw and Kieran Read. Unless there were some mishaps yesterday, that group will be asked to confront the Argentine pack.

Captain McCaw will battle on, sore foot and all, to the end of the All Blacks campaign.

Assistant coach Steve Hansen explained that McCaw was still troubled by his foot injury and like other loose forwards David Pocock and Heinrich Brussouw, needed time to get back into training after torrid games at the weekend.

"He's doing plenty of training, it's just the type of training he does," Hansen said of his skipper's preparation. "We have got to manage it."

McCaw's foot was sore but he would play with that inconvenience and was not doing more damage. "We are confident he will get through," Hansen said.

This test is Rugby 101 for Henry, Hansen and Wayne Smith in their All Black association - time for basic elementary, sensible rugby to match the partnership number.

At this stage of the tournament, Hansen said the All Blacks' focus was on themselves. They did not want to be disrespectful to any other sides and were excited and honed in on what they wanted to achieve in this test.

The squad had been rocked by Daniel Carter's injury but had regrouped.

World Cups were all about team efforts, galvanising the belief and talents of the entire squad and the All Blacks had to create that in Sunday's sudden-death quarter-final.

"We won't lose the World Cup because Carter's not playing, we will lose it because we have not played well enough," Hansen said.

The All Blacks' task was to balance their kicking and passing game, to have a strong scrum and not play too much rugby in their own half.

"New Zealand's been very good at playing with the ball in hand, sometimes they've been guilty of playing too much so we just have to be smart and play what the opposition allows us to play, make sure that we have a good set piece platform to play off and go forward," Hansen said.

"It is the simple principles of the game, so I don't think it changes because it is finals rugby."