John Drake: Sooner real pressure is applied on All Blacks the better

The All Blacks selection for the Northern Hemisphere tour has shown that not even coach Graham Henry always gets everything he wants.

Lack of recent play for key players, injuries and rugby politics have upset the headmaster's plans.

Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Rico Gear, Chris Jack, Leon MacDonald, Chris Masoe, Joe Rokocoko, James Ryan, Reuben Thorne and Ali Williams have not played much rugby lately - some not since the Tri-Nations, others intermittently during the provincial championship.

The fact a practice game has been arranged against the Divisional XV team indicates how seriously the selectors appreciate the lack of play by these players.

Injuries to the likes of MacDonald and Neemia Tialata and the late arrival of locks Ryan and Keith Robinson from injury have hindered the balance of the team.

It seems very likely that some players at prop and lock will not start a match on this tour.

Tialata may not be available until game three against France on November 19 by which time others may have cemented positions.

Equally, the locks will certainly spend more time preparing for practice rather than for playing games. The tour was planned as a dress rehearsal for next year's World Cup, with three high-pressure games designed to mimic quarter-final, semifinal and final in successive weekends.

The lure of English pounds for an extra match against England has upset this plan. In come two extra players and an unbalanced squad.

As a real preparation for next year, wouldn't it have been better to stick with just 30 players and put pressure on them to perform week after week in a narrow time-frame?

It would also have made the coaches and management refine selections and manage trainings and conditioning with restricted time and available personnel. These are all factors which have and always will be present during the World Cup.

With over 20 players being rested for the next Super 14, this tour is the last chance to finalise the top team selections before the Tri-Nations - the final build-up to the World Cup.

I feel it may be an opportunity lost as I doubt the best team will be selected week in week out. In other words, rotation will continue.

The wins may continue but the purpose of a rehearsal for the World Cup may have been disrupted if not lost.

What about the selections?

There's been a lot of talk about some of the Waikato players who have performed so well, with names like Liam Messam and Richard Kahui ringing like cowbells.

Fair enough, but Henry has mentioned their time may come and the provincial championship is two levels below test rugby.

What would happen if McCaw was flattened with a medium-term injury? Would Chris Masoe or Rodney So'oialo be placed at No 7, or would the selectors look for a real specialist?

For me, they would have no choice but to get hold of Marty Holah, in my opinion the next best to McCaw, with probably Otago's Josh Blackie just behind.

Just as the selectors did a u-turn on Reuben Thorne, I would hope the same might apply to Holah, who has not had the best treatment.

I guess the selectors have the comfort of knowing Holah is there waiting and won't let them down if required.

Halfback Jimmy Cowan has done nothing wrong and in fact played well for the All Blacks this year.

He misses out so the selectors can assess Andrew Ellis, who has found life tough recently behind an average Canterbury pack.

At hooker, the likes of Corey Flynn may be wondering what they have to do. Three hookers have been granted a rest for most of the Super 14.

Keven Mealamu? Fair enough. But Anton Oliver and Andrew Hore would have been better off playing for their positions against the comers like Flynn and co.

Five locks don't go into a World Cup squad and the selectors will soon face the unfamiliar pressure of having to make some cuts.

If Robinson stays fit, some of the recent incumbents might have to change plans for September next year.

This guy is the success story of the Air New Zealand Cup, not only on a personal level but the impact he had on the success of Waikato.

He may be the best we have at kickoff, lineout and the middle of the ruck. Is there anything else needed?

With a potential maximum of 18 tests between now and the finish of the World Cup, the selectors may be thinking there is still plenty of time to mix and match.

But perhaps the sooner real pressure is applied to players, management, coaches and selectors the better the result may be come September-October.