All Blacks: Naholo's X-factor tips scales

Ben Smith, Waisake Naholo and Nehe Milner-Skudder look on during the team announcement. Photo / Getty Images

Special player worth the risk, says Hansen.

The theme for the selectors when they came to finalise their 31 names was risk versus reward, with Waisake Naholo deemed to be the man who brought so much of the latter that he was worth the former.

The decision to take the 24-year-old Fijian-born wing says everything about the regard in which he is held.

He may have played only 45 minutes of test football but the selectors saw enough in Super Rugby and in his brief time with the All Blacks to believe he is a special player. And by that, they don't just mean his ability to beat players and score spectacular tries.

They were impressed by his attitude and ability to absorb information and the way Naholo conducted himself gave them reassurance he'll be able to cope with the stress of coming into a tournament injured and the eyes of the world on him.

His inclusion also provides a big clue to the depth of analysis the selectors have completed about World Cups and the mind-set they have about what is required to win.

Head coach Steve Hansen made the point that to win the World Cup, the All Blacks would have to offer the extraordinary. That they couldn't rely on vanilla - it won't be enough, hence the conclusion was reached that Naholo was a must-pick despite the fact he won't actually be fit until the pool game against Georgia.

"How big a risk is that. One of the things we have done throughout the whole selection process is look at risk versus reward," said Hansen.

"Yes he's injured but he's on the road to recovery. He'll be fit to play in the third game which technically means he only misses one because the first two games are only four days apart so he wouldn't have played in both of those anyway.

"What are the rewards of taking Waisake? He's a try-scoring machine and he's x-factor. He brings something to the team that others in the group don't and if he wasn't injured I think we'd all be saying we'd be putting him in the team.

"We can't win this World Cup by having something ordinary - we have to bring something different and he brings that."

It's apparent, then, that the All Blacks are prepared to inject youth and inexperience into the mix once they get to England. They want to use their experienced core to blunt opponents, the unknown components such as Naholo, Nehe Milner-Skudder and Malakai Fekitoa to cut through them.

And while, with more than 35 genuine test players at their disposal, this squad was always going to end up crammed with talent and little complaint regardless of the final 31, it feels like the inclusion of Naholo and Milner-Skudder has given them an added element of surprise.

Having Naholo and Milner-Skudder and three locks feels like the right amount of risk.

Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick and Luke Romano have the capacity to handle big workloads and Jerome Kaino can cover if needs be.

There was no need to push the boat out too far and follow the lead of Australia who have only taken two specialist hookers and halfbacks.

That option was never seriously considered by the All Black selectors. "We looked at hookers," said Hansen, "and could we risk taking only two? We felt the rewards of only taking two weren't high enough. The risk was too great - same at halfback. We are not like Australia who have a third person who can play in that position."