All Blacks: Frustrated panel to make some tough decisions

Whether Adam Thomson and other new faces are selected to play against the Wallabies on Saturday will not be known until today. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Even the All Black selectors have run out of patience. Or so they say.

The proof will be revealed today when they announce their side for the final domestic test of this season against the Wallabies in Wellington on Saturday.

Blindside flanker Adam Thomson, wings Cory Jane, Hosea Gear and props Neemia Tialata and Wyatt Crockett were new faces who all got extended time on the practice ground but whether that translates into selection will not be revealed until today.

The experiment of using Stephen Donald in midfield appears to have got the order of the boot with Ma'a Nonu and Isaia Toeava pitching up outside Daniel Carter.

All sorts of combinations were used at training as the coaches tried to sharpen the edge in the squad and also give the Wallabies extra time to ponder what the fallout would be from the defeat in Hamilton.

The Wallabies arrive today with an unchanged starting XV after hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau and wing Lachie Turner passed fitness tests on injuries suffered in their latest 21-6 victory against the Boks.

All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith said a number of players had been given a number of chances but not produced.

"We have to raise our standards and if that means changes in personnel that is what we will do," he said.

"I don't think there is anything wrong with the attitude, I think that's fine but that is not all that is required.

"You have got to be composed, make good decisions, execute under pressure and we did not always do that," he said of Hamilton.

After training, the selectors held a number of discussions about their intended side with key members of their leadership group and other insiders.

Smith and the coaching panel have accepted that the All Blacks have struggled to play accurately against both their Tri-Nations rivals this season.

"It is an issue that at some point, you have got to make some tough decisions and that is where we are at," he said.

Smith could not fault the players' work rate or their edge but noted that some had struggled to perform their skills to a high standard.

"We have got to find players who can get out there and perform on that stage accurately.

"We are a fair way off our game but not far off the opposition, not far away from the Boks but we are a long way off our game which gives us confidence that if we can make improvements ... then I think the potential is huge."

The think tank in the side had been mulling over reasons for the slow start-strong finish pattern from the All Blacks this season. They felt it could be linked to an excited early part of the week then the tension building near the game.

So the staff had decided to button off a bit aiming to have them in prime mental condition for Saturday at the Cake Tin.

"You have got to earn the jersey, you have got to earn the right to be out there and that's not just about attitude," Smith added.

"We have got that in the squad, these guys are trying as hard as they can, they want to be there but you have got to be accurate as well.

"You have got to be able to be out there on the big stage against the best teams in the world and you have got to be able to win those games and you are not going to be able to do that if you are not able to execute your set piece platforms or catch and pass."

Depth of players in some positions had been an issue this season because of injuries but the selectors were happy with those in the squad.

Meanwhile, All Blacks prop Neemia Tialata says he regrets comments on social networking site Facebook about Wellington had been made public and that his differences with the union had been resolved.

"The whole union/franchise is a joke!!" Tialata wrote on August 30.

"Lions coaches and Canes coaches don't even talk but are both based in the same building, how do they expect us players to win something."