Wynne Gray: Selectors have Ts crossed

It is a tale of two T's - Toeava and Tialata - the wunderkind and the wonderwhatever.

Remember all the hot air about Isaia Toeava a few years back when the All Black selectors claimed he was the next superstar before he disappeared then re-emerged in hot form on last year's end-of-year trip and this season's Super 14.

He was in great shape, he was in terrific form, he looked to have, finally, cemented the national panel's view.

He had to play in Dunedin in the first test against France and the selectors confirmed he would have played on the wing had Conrad Smith and Richard Kahui not been injured.

Instead Toeava shifted in to centre where he made a break or two, shelled a pass or two and made his tackles as the backline was jammed under the double press of slow ball and French pressure.

Result? Gone for the second test in Wellington. Demoted to the bench for the return test while Joe Rokocoko, in modest form for the Blues throughout the Super 14 and again in Dunedin, is retained on the wing. Go figure.

Meanwhile, despite promises from Graham Henry which turned out to be a vocal gaffe, Neemia Tialata keeps his 127kg frame in the No 3 jersey for another week after being bent, buckled and beaten by his rival at Carisbrook.

Tialata was not overly conspicuous in the Super 14 other than his loitering. The All Black selectors probably decided they would cut him some slack, just as they obviously did with Rokocoko.

Tialata had played well for them in the past, he was more suited to the slower fields of winter, he had ample power and strength and had a game which would be better served by the law changes.

He would improve with more training and bear up against the French. He came good on the second theory as he reared up, unable to contain the French thrust on his side of the scrum while round the field, well, he was certainly round.

But when the side for the second test was announced, Tialata was retained and John Afoa was still on the bench. This game is hard enough to understand these days but the latest selections make it even more confusing.