Lions legend Brian Moore believes All Blacks need experience over youth

Re-called All Blacks star Malakai Fekitoa has been tipped to start at centre this weekend by former England and Lions hooker Brian Moore. Photo / Brett Phibbs.

It is no secret that All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen and his assistants are in the midst of a selection dilemma in the midfield department heading into the third and final test of the British and Irish Lions series at Eden Park on Saturday.

The reigning world champions have lost Ryan Crotty to injury, while Sonny Bill Williams has received a four-week ban following his dismissal from the field for a shoulder charge to Anthony Watson's head in the first half of the second test in Wellington on the weekend.

As a result, only Anton Lienert-Brown and last week's debutant Ngani Laumape remain available out of the midfielders selected in the original squad named for the series.

Reinforcements have since been made, with youngster Jack Goodhue promoted into the squad from injury cover, while 23-test star Malakai Fekitoa has been granted a lifeline after missing out on the squad altogether, receiving a call up on Sunday to supplement the depleted midfield stocks.

Much of the talk leading into the decisive third test has revolved around which midfield combination the All Blacks will roll out, and now a former England and Lions legend has weighed in on the debate.

Speaking to Radio Sport this morning, 69-test hooker Brian Moore suggested he believed that the combination of Lienert-Brown and Fekitoa is the best possible one for the All Blacks this week, as he expressed the importance of both experience over youth, as well as the variation in ability and game plan that stems from a team's midfield.

"I would go for the experienced hand I think," the two-time Lions tourist said in reference to selecting Fekitoa ahead of Laumape.

"Because you have Lienert-Brown and Laumape, you're talking a handful of tests between them.

"It's ironic, they're [the All Blacks] looking extremely slow. If you have two very directive and new centres, none of that affects the go-forward ball they can get you, but it affects the wide men, and New Zealand's wide three are very important, and you need them in the game.

"If you can't get them in the game by passing the ball, you're reduced to cross kicks and things like that, so you've got to have people that can distribute as well, and if they're under pressure from a Lions defence - which will target them - I just think you need to have people that are steady.

"I think they'll be better off at least having one centre who has a decent number of caps."

Moore, who played 64 tests for England and further five for the Lions between 1987 and 1995, also spoke of his surprise at the All Blacks' supposed change in tactics from the first test, stating the New Zealanders kicked the ball more frequently in the second test.

"Maybe I couldn't appreciate how wet it was, but it seemed to me, in the first 20 minutes, that New Zealand kicked a lot of ball, where in the first test, they kept it in hand and they punched it short, they played off the nine and they made a lot of ground and they'd done a very good job.

"Maybe they thought the Lions would have anticipated that, but I thought it would be worth giving it a go to see if they could replicate what they'd done and have a plan they're after, rather than just saying 'oh well, we'll change completely'.

"When Sonny Bill went off, he gives a lot of go-forward ball by making metres after the contact by offloading, and I just felt that was a focal point, and apart from the first 15 minutes, they just didn't get enough go-forward ball."

All eyes will be fixated on which midfield combination will be tasked with getting the home side enough go-forward ball to clinch a series win when the All Blacks side to take the field for the all-important third test is announced on Thursday morning.