KEY POINTS:
Back in the south of France, back in the tournament. It feels that way after a detour to Edinburgh where a 64,558 crowd kept up the attendance records which have been the highlight of the tournament.
While the All Blacks have been given two days' leave from their
Aix-en-Provence base, the selectors have much to brood over after the middling 40-0 victory against Scotland.
That performance was as much out of sync as the jersey muddle and the politically inspired decision to stage the game in Edinburgh as payback for the Scots voting for France to host the tournament.
The All Black selectors were taking an early week break too but they would have left with some of their thoughts clouded after the stuttering display, in particular from the backline, against Scotland B.
Coach Graham Henry gave the impression he wanted to use most of his alternate XV against Romania this weekend but the rusty matchplay from some frontliners might force him to reconsider that strategy.
If not, it will be a brave decision to go into a knockout Cardiff quarter-final, probably against France, with a side which looks rusty because it only plays every fortnight.
However Henry has long touted his conviction in his squad's depth and their ability to front up after little matchplay. The slow burn they are doing at this tournament, against ordinary opposition, has yet to fully complement that faith.
This week Keith Robinson is reported to be fit though his track record suggests you have to wait until referee Joel Jutge blows his opening whistle to see if the lock starts.
Then there is the tricky issue of who plays fullback. Leon MacDonald limped off against Scotland with some leg injury - reports varied from a hip problem to a calf strain - while Mils Muliaina is recovering from a hamstring strain.
Both are strong players but Muliaina is the most valuable to the All Blacks. After the indifferent midfield work from Conrad Smith and Luke McAlister against Scotland, the All Black selectors must be tempted to switch Muliaina to centre where they have favoured him on a regular basis and used him in the opening game against Italy.
That would require MacDonald to be fit at fullback and as a fallback position, the selectors may be extra-cautious and leave both players out of this weekend's game against Romania, even though that would leave Muliaina well short of work.
The task then would be to settle on a temporary fullback for that game at Toulouse. Twelve years ago, the All Blacks gambled on Jeff Wilson being sharper at fullback than Glenn Osborne in a test against France.
It was an unhappy night for Wilson in a 22-15 loss, a defeat which provoked team manager Colin Meads to blister the walls in a team talk most players had never encountered before.
Options this week? Nick Evans, could do it again capably, or other choices are Isaia Toeava Doug Howlett or Sitiveni Sivivatu.
Toeava has been ignored at centre on this trip and surely cannot be asked to front in that position for the Cardiff quarter-final so might be offered the chance. Howlett should not be distracted from his core duties but Sivivatu might be a wildcard if both fullbacks are not available.
He had a nightmare against Scotland but has played fullback for the Chiefs and the selectors might think it best for him to get out there again to regain his confidence in what should be a free-wheeling exercise against Romania.
