Ardie Savea reveals why he's playing so well and the special place the team is in. Video / All Blacks TV
As the pointy end of the All Blacks season fast approaches pressure amplifies to seize dwindling chances.
Argentina, the USA and this weekend's test against Italy have afforded Ian Foster mass rotation opportunities but with Ireland and France to finish the year, Rome could be the final destination for somefringe prospects to impress.
Despite a third successive week where the result should be a foregone conclusion, individually the All Blacks have plenty to play for. Internal competition among the 38-man squad is fierce, and while some positions have clear first choice options many others remain up for grabs.
Foster made it clear, after naming his revamped squad for Italy, that performances against Italy will influence selections – possibly more so for the final test against France than next week's in Dublin where many of those rested from this match will return to starting roles.
"As a group of selectors we've got a pretty clear plan for Ireland but I'd be surprised if there weren't a number of players who start on Saturday that aren't starting in one of the next two tests," Foster said.
In that category you can include Richie Mo'unga, returning captain Sam Cane, Sevu Reece, Brad Weber, Dane Coles, Luke Jacobson and Quinn Tupaea, the latter applying heat to David Havili's claims at second five-eighth.
The ability to mix and match throughout the Rugby Championship and northern tour has allowed Foster to dangle a consistent carrot. After this weekend, though, that won't be so easy as starting preferences become clear and the level of opposition significantly lifts.
With a squad cull looming next year, this week could be a case of last chance saloon for some.
Foster, in offering an insight into the choices he faces, peeled back the curtain to his juggling act for the remainder of the season. Next week his toughest calls are likely to be second-five, blindside flanker, halfback and who of Coles, Samasoni Taukeiaho and Codie Taylor misses the cut.
"I don't lack difficult conversations there's generally about 13 or 14 on a Monday night. I don't think they enjoy getting a text to come and see me. That's all part of the game and everyone knows that. There's certainly going to be a lot of competition the next few weeks.
"I don't see it being a closed door from whatever we do in the Irish test to the French. There's two different styles of game there and we've got a number of options coming through.
"You look at Dalton Papalii he was really strong against Wales and now we've got Sam Cane coming back so how do we get that balance right in the last two tests of the year and that's just one example of many.
Richie Mo'unga of the All Blacks makes a run during The Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup match between the New Zealand All Blacks and the Wallabies. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
"We've got some big decisions to make at hooker, and a whole range of things so there's a few headaches coming up there's no doubt about that but they're good ones because we've got players producing the sort of performances we want.
"Every week you do that there's more pressure on the next week to carry on doing it."
Attention will inevitably intensify on the first five-eighth contest, too, where the dynamic has shifted from earlier this year when Richie Mo'unga took command. The Crusaders playmaker, after staying home for the birth of his second child and missing the majority of the Rugby Championship, is now chasing Beauden Barrett for the starting role which may be shared in the final two tests.
"He's come back in and been phenomenal," Foster said of Mo'unga. "I was massively impressed with him last week. It became a bit of the Beaudy show with his 100 tests but Richie's support in behind the scenes was phenomenal. I'm sure he's going to play to his normal levels, if not better. He's very determined. Everyone is competitive, and he's certainly eyeing up some time in the next couple of weeks as well."
In one of many cases of the depth at his disposal Foster has shown immense faith in youth by pairing Taranaki and Chiefs locks Tupou Vaa'i and Josh Lord, the duo boasting 10 caps between them, and the latter making his starting debut after joining the team three weeks ago in the USA.
"The reason we're talking about our depth is basically to a man when we've given someone a jersey they've gone out and done a great job," Foster said.
"That's still the challenge. You can get overconfident with that. The reality is we've only got good depth if we keep producing great performances. When we look at the last two weeks of this tour a lot of that is going to depend on the quality of our game on Saturday."
Richie Mo'unga of the All Blacks. Photo / Getty Images.
The All Blacks have been patient with Cane and Coles' respective returns from long injury layoffs but after leaving the veterans out of last week's dominant victory in Cardiff, their leadership will be influential in guiding a green side against Italy.
Sam Whitelock is expected to resume the captaincy in Dublin next week but Foster had no hesitation handing Cane the role in his second test back from surgery.
"Sometimes when you're away it can reignite a bit of passion for the team and I've certainly seen that with both those two coming back in.
"I've got a lot of faith in his captaincy that's been pretty obvious over the last couple of years. In this case we weren't in a hurry to rush him back into the captaincy but the way the selections have worked out for this group we felt it was right."
