Back in the day, this would signal a change of thinking by the selectors. In a simpler age when a starting XV was everything, that would say, given they have talked about their desire to be consistent with their selection for the remainder of the tournament, that they have seen the need to adjust their pecking orders.
But the modern game isn't so clear cut and the starting XV is no longer everything. Nor is it possible or indeed wise, as the enormous casualty list at this tournament proves, for coaches to run the same players - particularly those in high impact positions - every test.
It doesn't work like that any more. The All Blacks don't want to be making significant personnel changes each week, but they will still have the odd player rotation depending on the state of various individuals.
The attrition at this tournament is going to be higher than anything seen before. The Tier Two nations have lifted their respective games to the point where they can, if nothing else, defend with more aggression and structure to bruise and bash the best sides and take more out of them.
The All Blacks, like every contender, are wary of that and they played five tests this year with a view to not only determining the right 31 players to take to England, but to also develop, to some extent, alternative combinations that they could use at the World Cup to protect themselves from fatigue and injury.
The midfield is a classic example - knowing as they did that they wouldn't be able to keep Nonu and Conrad Smith together for every game. They didn't do that in 2011 either - that combination was sparingly used during the pool rounds and then exclusively in the knockout stages.
That may well be the thinking again here. Williams is the man in form and he's also light on rugby this year. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him start again next week in Newcastle with Nonu at centre to give Smith a break ahead of what they hope will be three huge weeks.
Come the quarter-final, in all likelihood, the selectors will revert to the tried and trusted Nonu-Smith combination with Williams on the bench - ready to be unleashed.
There's a lot of rugby to be played and the midfield - just ask Wales - is where much of the carnage takes place. That's not to say Williams won't force his way into the starting lineup, he may be in such irresistible form that they can't keep him out, but his selection against Georgia doesn't signal that is destined to now happen.
The situation in the front-row is much the same but even less of a surprise. No prop plays 80 minutes these days and Faumuina and Crockett are starting because they both, for different reasons, need the game time.
Again, their elevation to start doesn't signal a change of thinking per se, but Franks and Woodcock will still be wary.
All Blacks team to play Georgia at Millennium Stadium, kick-off 8am Saturday:
15. Ben Smith
14. Waisake Naholo
13. Conrad Smith
12. Sonny Bill Williams
11. Julian Savea
10. Dan Carter
9. Aaron Smith
8. Kieran Read
7. Richie McCaw (c)
6. Jerome Kaino
5. Sam Whitelock
4. Brodie Retallick
3. Charlie Faumuina
2. Dane Coles
1. Wyatt Crockett
Reserves: Keven Mealamu, Tony Woodcock, Owen Franks, Victor Vito, Sam Cane, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, TJ Perenara, Malakai Fekitoa.
