KEY POINTS:
The most important feature of last night's match against Romania will be Keith Robinson coming through unscathed.
I have only one worry about the All Blacks - aside from my well-publicised belief that they should be playing their top team consistently now. That's done and dusted now, so
let's move on.
Only problem is - we move on to the lineout. If Robinson is fit and well after Romania, we have three locks and I believe that is essential for the All Blacks.
If Robinson is not around, we are down to Ali Williams and Chris Jack - and Reuben Thorne. What worries me about that is the South African lineout, the Australian lineout and even the French lineout.
Take another look at the Boks' lineout against England. They just did them over. The Boks had lost Schalk Burger but in came Wikus van Heerden and the Bok lineout just blitzed the English in the first 20m. They didn't know where to go; what to do.
I believe the All Blacks are in big trouble if Robinson doesn't make it through. You can say they can replace him but the likely option is Troy Flavell and he is not a specialist lock. Neither is Reuben Thorne.
The Australians have a good lineout too. Like the Boks, they are able to kick the ball out because they know they have a good chance of getting it back from the opposition throw. The Boks are even better placed. I'd say they rate themselves as a 50-50 chance at every opposition lineout.
It's probably the biggest weakness in the All Blacks game - if that third lock isn't available. I don't want to harp on too much about selection as I have to admit that the All Blacks haven't done much wrong and are continuing to win, of course.
But I was a bit puzzled why you would play Luke McAlister at 10 if, as I presume, Nick Evans is the number two No 10.
I know the fullback stocks are a bit thin at the moment but either Isaia Toeava or Doug Howlett, at a pinch, could play there while Evans could shift to first five-eighths. You could even play McAlister at 15, for the Romanians anyway.
Finally, a word for the Tongans. They have been a hit here and I thought it was pathetic that the IRB wouldn't let them dye their hair green under their deal with Paddy Power, the bookmaker.
The joke was on the IRB anyway. It is hard to imagine any of the RWC sponsors cutting up rough because the cash-strapped Tongans were trying to do the right thing by a financial backer.
The joke was that the Tongans and Paddy Power got far more publicity out of the IRB refusal.
