All Blacks expected to make minimal changes

New Zealand All Blacks 2nd-five Sonny Bill Williams during a press conference, at their training ground at Darlington Mowden Park. Photo / Brett Phibbs.

The All Black selectors are expected to be true to their word and make minimal changes to their starting side to play Tonga.

There may be a bit of tinkering on the bench and they will have to determine whether leg knocks picked up by Waisake Naholo and Richie McCaw have sufficiently healed, but other than that, it's hard to see many other changes.

Ma'a Nonu may come in to start for Sonny Bill Williams and win his 100th test cap and the frontrow could revert to their normal duties of Tony Woodcock and Owen Franks starting with Wyatt Crockett and Charlie Faumuina coming off the bench.

Continuity is hugely important to the All Blacks at this stage of the competition. The last pool game is an opportunity to tidy up the skill execution, improve the overall timing and snap and build the confidence coming into the crucial part of the World Cup.

While the All Blacks are unlikely to reveal everything they have in Newcastle, they will no doubt be keen to put more parts together and play closer to the style they intend to use in the last eight.

Frustration has been used too often in regard to their work so far and while they are not panicking or worried about how they are placed, they would still rather deliver a commanding performance against Tonga.

And to do that they need continuity of selection - for the key units and combinations to be kept together as injury allows.

Ideally Naholo will be able to take his spot on the right wing and iron out some of the rustiness that blighted his game in Cardiff. His potential to break open defences and give the All Blacks a point of difference is significant.

He's short of match fitness and the coaches will be wary if they can't get him on the park this week as he'll be so short of rugby that picking him for the quarterfinal will carry an element of risk.

That risk being he won't last 80 minutes which means they know they will be putting their outside back replacement on early - but there will be a problem if they encounter injuries.

Naholo was sore in the early part of the week after his leg was bruised playing Georgia. He has trained - although was on lighter duties initially - and was thought to be a strong chance to get the go ahead.

McCaw is also nursing bruising in his leg after he was forced to limp off near the end of the Georgian test. He's also thought to have trained this week but hasn't been running as freely as he would like.

Given what happened at the last World Cup - where he played the entire tournament with a broken foot that was mostly kept secret from even his teammates - some concern may develop if the skipper doesn't play at St James' Park. This is different - there is no hidden injury. If it was a World Cup final, he'd play but there's no need to have him out there if his leg would benefit from not playing.

The All Blacks hope there are three big games to come. They will need McCaw firing in each if they are going to progress.

The bench may also be affected by the availability of McCaw. If he's ruled out and Sam Cane starts, it's probable the coaches will go back to having a specialist lock on the bench.

Beauden Barrett should also come onto the bench and provide a second receiver option later in the game.