All Blacks: Thomson's elevation leaves void at No 7

All Black assistant coach Steve Hansen admitted he got it wrong in trying to convert Adam Thomson into a specialist openside flanker. Photo / Sarah Ivey

The great openside flanker search is back on again.

The All Blacks coaches admit they are no closer to finding a backup to captain Richie McCaw after restoring Adam Thomson to the blindside for Saturday's Tri-Nations rugby test against Australia - and admitting that's been his best spot all along.

Athletic Otago flanker Thomson replaces Jerome Kaino in one of five changes from the side who lost 32-29 to South Africa in Hamilton.

The others see Neemia Tialata in for Owen Franks at prop, Tom Donnelly for lock Isaac Ross, centre Isaia Toeava for second five-eighth Stephen Donald in a reshuffle and winger Cory Jane for the injured Sitiveni Sivivatu.

Aside from debutant Donnelly, the changes give the team a retro 2009 feel, with Jane, Toeava, Thomson and Tialata all tried earlier this season and discarded because of form or injury.

Indeed, the starting team bears close similarity to the group who lost the opening test of the year against France in June, with just Donald, Ross and Liam Messam missing.

Forwards coach Steve Hansen admits he got it wrong by singling out Thomson as the great white hope at No 7 when he was named to start there for the French test at Carisbrook while McCaw was injured.

"We've got to be honest and say we've tried the odd thing from time to time that hasn't worked and that's probably one of them," Hansen said.

"We're desperately looking for someone that can back Rich up. That was a test match where we thought we'd give that a go."

Thomson broke a bone in his hand and made his return last month with some sharp efforts on the blindside for Otago.

"We thought he'd displayed a lot of the skills needed (for openside) but in fairness to him, he's gone back to six and he's telling us through his form that that's the position he should play in."

Hansen's biggest headache for the last six years - aside from the lineout - has been finding McCaw's understudy.

McCaw and Marty Holah were tried sporadically as twin fetchers in 2005 and 2006 - a tactic that was deemed a failure.

Since Holah left for Wales, the backup role has largely been shared by part-timers such as Rodney So'oialo, a trend that has continued through this Tri-Nations.

McCaw has played 80 minutes in all five tests so far, with specialist No 7 Tanerau Latimer not even making the reserve bench.

It appears there are few specialist options outsider Latimer or Taranaki's Scott Waldrom for the season-ending tour starting next month.

Thomson is a certainty to tour as a blindside, with his lineout prowess alone enough to convince Hansen of his worth.

"He's far and away the best player on Air NZ Cup displays," Hansen said.

"Rather than stuff him around trying to make him into something he's probably not really suited to, we're better to leave him where he's best at and get on with it.

"He's light of foot but he's 112kg, which is 6kg up on what he was but he's maintained that explosive power that he's got.

"That's an asset going into a test match as well."

Meanwhile, Thomson's Otago teammate Donnelly has emerged as a strong chance to tour following his surprise promotion.

The 27-year-old provincial stalwart replaces the athletic Ross, whose slim frame had been battered through starting all eight tests since his debut at Carisbrook.

"Isaac's had a big year," Hansen said.

"He's played in a lot of test matches and he's not a big man so at some stage the petrol tank's going to run out and we just think that he's better off now coming out of it and putting in a fresh pair of legs."

Hansen hinted that Ross may not be considered for the year-end tour to Japan and Europe because those six weeks may be better spent bulking up.

"I guess we'll sit down and talk about that once this test is out of the way. It's definitely a question that will be asked, I'd say," Hansen said.

"There's no doubting his athletic ability and his skill factor. We've just got to get him bigger and stronger."

Locks already unavailable for the tour because of injury are veteran Ali Williams and this year's bolter Bryn Evans.

- NZPA