Just the small matter of who will be All Blacks captain

Richie McCaw (left) and Keven Mealamu

In these Lest We Forget times, it was not that long ago that the All Blacks left 21 senior players behind for a tour to Europe.

Coach John Mitchell pulled that move in late 2002, claiming it was the only time for fatigued players to have surgery or get in some conditioning before the ensuing World Cup campaign.

It was the precursor for a strategy that his successor Graham Henry has developed, with alternate test teams and an extended group of 39 players for this year's opening internationals.

Mitchell encountered a tidal wave of dissension in comparison with the submissive acceptance of Henry's rest and rotation plans for the All Blacks' mid-year test programme.

It was a sign of the times. Before that 2002 end-of-year tour, Mitchell's mob had won nine of their 10 tests, while Henry's squads have won 18 of their 21 tests.

Similar winning ratios but there have been very different reactions to their plans about developing depth and dealing with player workloads.

Four years ago, Mitchell decided to leave his regular All Black skipper Reuben Thorne out of the tour because he needed ankle surgery.

Former captain Taine Randell was resurrected for the three tests against England, France and Wales because there were no obvious alternatives and was then discarded - his use-by date had expired.

How will Henry sort out his selection sequences and what solution will he come up with for his captain?

There is no doubt that Richard Hugh McCaw will be anointed as All Black captain to succeed Tana Umaga. Henry near as dammit agreed this year, stopping just short of the announcement by saying players had to get through the Super 14.

But Henry has also voiced his desire to bypass players whose workload has included the Super 14 playoffs for the opening two tests against Ireland.

McCaw and the Crusaders are dead certs for the final four and it will be a major shock if the Hurricanes miss as well.

Unless Henry believes McCaw should be honoured as the first All Black captain in the change of leadership or there is a wider plan, someone else will have the (c) after their name for the June 10 test in Hamilton.

Despite the All Blacks operating a leadership group for the last few seasons, the captaincy contenders are not thick on the ground. Not when you take the Crusaders and the Hurricanes out of the mix.

Candidates from the other New Zealand franchises who have been part of the leadership squad are Keven Mealamu, Doug Howlett, Mils Muliaina and Byron Kelleher.

Mealamu captains the Blues but he has been unable to galvanise them to qualify for the semis, their seventh miss in the last eight seasons.

Fellow hooker Anton Oliver is a former All Black captain, a man Henry and the players respect, someone who might be persuaded to fill in while McCaw is resting.

Jono Gibbes is a follow-me type of leader who would appeal more than Kelleher, Howlett or Muliaina. But Gibbes is likely to lead NZ Maori again because he will not oust locks such as Ali Williams, Greg Rawlinson, Bernie Upton or Tom Donnelly.

Loose forwards Craig Newby or Marty Holah could deal with the captaincy if picked against Ireland but they may not be required as part of longer-term selection strategies.

While Henry is prepared to tilt at tradition with his amplified selections, is he also prepared to pick an expendable captain and count on further public concessions? Does a temporary skipper have to be part of the permanent long-term squad?

The coach has already shown he will not be constrained by ritual when he alternated Umaga and McCaw on tour last season.

Does he use Oliver and Mealamu as alternating captains and hookers in both tests against Ireland, with McCaw to take up the job in Argentina? Or will he invoke that escape clause, the "where possible" paragraph about resting all those in the Super 14 playoffs from the Irish internationals?

He might argue that McCaw deserves the prestige of being captain in the first test against Ireland, leaving Oliver and Mealamu to deal with the second test leadership.


THE OPTIONS

* Richie McCaw - Henry backs down on resting his captain-in-waiting
* Keven Mealamu - A candidate from Henry's leadership group but Blues' form hasn't helped
* Anton Oliver - A former captain who might be persuaded to fill in
* Doug Howlett
* Mils Muliaina
* Byron Kelleher - Other less likely options from Henry's leadership group
* Jono Gibbes - No guarantee of selection