KEY POINTS:
James Ryan's unfortunate departure from World Cup calculations is tragic for him but he is a good player and will come again, I'm sure. However, the rest of us are naturally wondering what effect the loss of Ryan and Chris Jack to injury will have on our formerly strong options at lock.
Actually, I reckon we are still strong - and for that we have to thank the All Black selectors and their conditioning programme.
But I don't mean that in the way you think.
Many of the reconditioned All Blacks have taken a while to find their feet and their form. In the meantime, those who have played through from the beginning of the Super 14 have been going from strength to strength.
There's an old saying in the All Blacks: never give a sucker an even break. And it doesn't just apply to the opposition.
If you get your All Black jersey, you want to hang on to it come hell or high water.
Some of the rotated and reconditioned All Blacks will have hated being on the sidelines - and will have hated watching someone else do well in their position.
Look at lock. Look at the Crusaders where young Michael Paterson has been making the most of his chances in Super 14.
Or Ross Filipo, with that storming game against the Force last week. Both have made real advances this year because they are getting regular game time.
And you only have to look at Blues lock Greg Rawlinson who is playing by far his best stuff for them and keeping Ali Williams on the bench.
Re-conditioning? Great idea - but there is no conditioning like game time. You can see it in the play of Jason Eaton and Keith Robinson who are two of the other contenders.
Robinson has been sidelined by injury again but is not yet back to his best. Eaton's last game for the All Blacks was 20 minutes on the side of a scrum and then he has been off being re-conditioned.
He has come back into a side that has struggled and that and his lack of recent game time has showed. However, what the selectors have done is create intense competition for spots - even without Ryan.
Even if we had to choose a team today without Jack or Ryan, we would still be in good shape.
Our top two locks at present are Troy Flavell and Ali Williams, with Robinson and Eaton following after and even behind Rawlinson.
However, as we all know, the selectors will not base their decision on form alone. They know - courtesy of what they have achieved over the past few years - what players are capable of.
If you accept that Jack will be back in good health and form, he and Williams will be the first two of the four All Black locks for the World Cup. It then depends whether the selectors opt for two more specialists or one plus a lock-loose forward.
Flavell is at the top of the list for that spot at present, so it could be that Canterbury's Reuben Thorne misses out.
With Jack, Williams and Flavell on board, it could be that the upcoming domestic international season will be a real trial for Eaton and Robinson who may be playing off for one spot.
Rawlinson has done well but, for me, lacks a little of the ball-handling and round-the-field abilities for a top All Black lock.
Both Robinson and Eaton could be taken but that would crimp numbers in the loose forwards - an area of real advantage to the All Blacks and which they will be keen to maintain.
You have to take your hat off to the selectors for the competition they have created - whoever gets the lock spots will have earned it, that's for sure.
