All Black no-shows cause for intrigue

It's the All Black no-shows that are most intriguing.

No Israel Dagg, Charles Piutau, Beauden Barrett, Lima Sopoaga, Ryan Crotty, Tawera Kerr-Barlow and Andy Ellis in the backs.

No Liam Messam, Jeremy Thrush, Luke Romano, James Broadhurst, Ben Franks, Joe Moody, Hika Elliot and Codie Taylor.

What those absences mean will provoke multi-sided discussions but one thing is a near certainty - they have seen enough of those players. One way or another they will have made up their minds about these blokes.

It's a dramatic decision about Lima Sopoaga, who played with rare aplomb in his debut at Ellis Park and has not been picked since.

It leaves Liam Messam with a solitary start against the Boks and only training field efforts to push his case for inclusion in the 31-man squad for the World Cup.

Injury meant rare outings for Dagg this season but he was picked on reputation for three tests without delivering much and is now bypassed along with Piutau, who at least, showed plenty of fizz in his three appearances.

Some will see the snub for the final domestic test at Eden Park as a pointer to World Cup absenteeism, while others will paint it as a sign the selectors are satisfied with what they've seen.

The selectors have gone for what looks to be the strongest combination they can field, with Victor Vito picked on the blindside ahead of a recently subdued Jerome Kaino and Ma'a Nonu restored to second five-eighths after injury.

Kaino will cover lock and loose-forward from the bench and the selectors may decide to use that system at the tournament where three of their pool games are against much weaker opposition.

They have used Jeremy Thrush for one 20-minute spell from the bench against Argentina and James Broadhurst for the first half against the Boks but that has been their locking lot.

Without the injured Patrick Tuipulotu, it looks like they will take Thrush as a steady fourth lock to ease the workload on the top crew or choose to improvise.

That would allow them to take their three specialist locks - Brodie Retallick, Sam Whitelock and Luke Romano, with Kaino helping out - and leaving room for another five loose-forwards.