Richard Loe: Foundations must be laid in modern era

Campbell Johnstone can probably feel a bit peeved. There he is one moment, playing well in an All Black test match. The next, he's on his way back to Canterbury where he gets a few minutes against Nelson Bays and he's not needed for the Tri Nations.

That's how it is in the new All Black camp. I was at an International Rugby Academy session with, among others, Jamie Joseph, Ian Jones, John Eales and Nick Farr-Jones when this was discussed over a bit of a beer.

We 'once-was's' are having to get used to this. In our day, you earned your jersey. You played hard to keep it and you kept it until you were no longer capable of keeping it. There was none of what has happened with Auckland prop John Afoa - brought into the Tri Nations squad to replace Johnstone and brought in to work on his scrummaging.

In our day, you were selected when you were on top of your position and your role. There was none of this learn-how-to-be-an-All-Black-while-you-are-an All Black. You had to earn the jersey first by getting to the top of the pile.

But times change, people change and coaches change and you can only applaud what Graham Henry, Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith are doing right now.

They have said publicly they are building a base of 30-odd players and so far the public has been very accepting of that - I guess it's easier when you are winning, as the All Blacks have been over the last eight months or so.

To go back to the propping situation, look what the panel is doing. We have Carl Hayman as our No 1 prop. Greg Somerville can take over if Hayman is injured at tighthead - but Somerville is also making a good fist of the loosehead position and they see him as good back-up for Tony Woodcock. So Johnstone is backing up at tighthead and they are introducing Afoa to tighthead as well. Saimone Taumoepeau is another they took away last year and who can back up at loosehead.

That's six key front-rowers right there - six players they can rely on, in time, if Hayman or Woodcock or Somerville are injured.

I thought Johnstone made one of the best scrummaging debuts I have seen in the third test against the Lions when he dealt with Gethin Jenkins and then Graeme Rowntree. But he just needs rugby, more game time, more Super 12.

Look at Hayman. Now our best prop, he showed up as promising but had to work on his game for a couple of years and he is now a mature, wiser and feared front-rower. When Woodcock went away on last year's tour of Europe, a lot of us were asking if he had it. Well, he's shown he's got it all right, and now the panel are giving Afoa and Johnstone the chance to show they've got it too.

I am sure Johnstone will be privately gutted that they are giving Afoa a chance to take his spot but Henry and co want competition for spots and depth. Afoa is a big boy and does well around the paddock but they will need to work on his scrummaging.

They are also trying to develop horses for courses, so they can select teams according to the opposition strengths and weaknesses.

Incidentally, I caught enough of the Wallabies-Springboks Mandela Challenge match last week to see that the Boks are huge in the forwards but don't have the mobility or the skills or the ability to use turnover ball to good effect - much like the Lions.

I reckon a game between the Lions and the Boks right now might end up with neither side being able to score a try. But that is another story.

The story now is how the All Blacks are building their base. Good luck to them.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY