KEY POINTS:
Which All Black has been worked the hardest during the three years since the last World Cup?
Is it one of the three indispensables turning out against Wales on Sunday for the final test of the season - either captain Richie McCaw, first five-eighths whizz Daniel Carter or the cornerstone of the scrum, Carl Hayman?
First and only clue. It is none of that triumvirate.
McCaw has been employed the most this season, missing a solitary test and even then took in the trip to Argentina in his role as the freshly-appointed skipper.
However, a couple of years ago, concussion removed him from several tests then the entire Tri-Nations series in Graham Henry's first season as coach.
Carter has also suffered from injury, the broken bone in his leg last year being the most dramatic.
Tighthead supremo Hayman shared the duties with Greg Somerville for a time, missed two of the Lions tests because of an infected leg and was then involved in the rotation on the Grand Slam tour.
By Sunday and some strange mathematical fate, McCaw, Carter and Hayman will all have been involved in 27 of the 36 All Black tests under Graham Henry's command.
Another who can match that number is wing Joe Rokocoko, who would have notched more but for a form slump in 2005 when he missed the Lions series and the Tri-Nations.
Workaholic hooker Keven Mealamu's season has clicked off and he has amassed 28 tests in the same period as either a starter or substitute since Henry took control in 2004.
Senior lock Chris Jack is also not required this week as Keith Robinson and Ali Williams join forces for the last test, at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
While the All Blacks have a surfeit of locks chasing down World Cup places, that was not always the case. Simon Maling helped Jack out in the early stages of Henry's tenure, Norm Maxwell was roped in from his sabbatical for a trip to Europe while Williams flitted in and out of favour.
Jack was the go-to lock selection for all of that period until the last year when Williams, Robinson, James Ryan and Jason Eaton have joined the selection tussle.
So it is no surprise that Jack has started or come off the bench in 32 internationals for the All Blacks since 2004. He has been capped 57 times and has had to take much of the second-row workload.
However the most heavily employed All Black has been Mils Muliaina who will nudge ahead of Jack by playing this weekend's test in Cardiff.
Muliaina will have missed just three tests in the past three years, which underlines his versatile and consistent excellence, the selectors' dependence on his skills and the lack of public clarity about the best replacement for Tana Umaga at centre.
The 26-year-old Muliaina began his test career at fullback in 2003 because Leon MacDonald was suffering from a head knock, and showed such consistent form he became the first choice fullback at the World Cup.
Since then he has churned out the games for Graham Henry and this weekend will be his 47th international in the black jersey.
"It is a lot of tests and I am stoked the way things have gone," Muliaina said.
"It has been an awesome ride so far, I just hope it continues."
He will be at fullback against Wales and his first test for Henry was in the same position but in between Muliaina has been used on the right and left wings and at centre.
The work on the wings was more as a fill-in and a sign of his reliability but since Umaga retired, Muliaina has been the most preferred centre.
He has played six tests this year at centre, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu and Isaia Toeava will have played two tests each while Casey Laulala had a solitary outing at centre against Ireland.
Make of that what you will. Muliaina is both the best fullback and best centre in the squad. He will play wherever the form of alternate fullback Leon MacDonald or Smith dictates or depending on the opposition.
Muliaina will give you the standard answer that he does not have a positional preference. He is content as long as he is picked and he will do what is best for the team.
"Growing up I wanted to be a centre but playing fullback has suited my game, I like the open field and the choices you have in front of you. Sometimes I find playing centre tough because of all the traffic around you."
Instead of wondering how best to fit Muliaina in around the other contenders, the time must be approaching when the selectors have to decide where first to pick Muliaina.
Otherwise the instinctive clout and sharp decisions he brings to his rugby will run the risk of getting a little fuzzy. Henry and his panel have spoken about avoiding the 2003 World Cup trap where the All Blacks struggled to replace the injured Umaga.
Time for a statement from the All Black selectors and they may just have made it with Smith at centre and Muliaina at fullback this weekend.
Muliaina believes the selectors will make the positional decision for him for the World Cup. He would rather settle on one but if they wanted him to cover both fullback and centre that would be no problem.
He would not give his own opinion.
But the way he spoke about his enjoyment at fullback probably gave a clue about his inclination.
