KEY POINTS:
If you listen carefully, you can hear the sound of the All Blacks' heavy artillery rumbling into position ahead of next month's international matches against England and Ireland.
Graham Henry, reappointed as coach despite the World Cup pratfall in Cardiff last October, will name a training squad following this weekend's Super 14 semifinal between the Christchurch-based Crusaders and the Wellington-based Hurricanes, and while players from the winning side will not be included for now - the tournament final takes place on May 31 - the runes suggest that New Zealand will be as strong as they usually are between global gatherings.
There has been widespread comment to the effect that Doug Howlett, Luke McAlister, Aaron Mauger, Byron Kelleher, Carl Hayman and Chris Jack dealt silver-fern rugby a heavy blow when they made their dash for European cash late last year, thereby ending their association with test rugby - some temporarily, others permanently.
With Joe Rokocoko injured and Nick Evans, the increasingly valuable utility back, pledging himself to Harlequins next season, predictions of an imminent All Black demise have been two a penny.
England, especially, have a puncher's chance of victory in one of the forthcoming tests, but Henry is in a position to select around two-thirds of the World Cup squad and with a new generation of eye-catching backs playing their way into consideration - Stephen Brett of the Crusaders and Anthony Tuitavake of the Blues are being tipped for the starting XV - the All Blacks are unlikely to find themselves at death's door.
Henry sounded confident enough when he described last weekend's Super 14 activity as "test standard", despite the fact that the International Rugby Board's unpopular "experimental law variations" were in force.
"The game has a lot more shape now than it had initially," he said, referring back to his concerns at the outset of the southern hemisphere's elite provincial competition.
"We were worried that teams were going backwards and forwards without any structure, but we are now seeing them looking after the ball and building pressure through continuity."
The coach added that he had watched a "vast amount of rugby" in an effort to crystalise his thinking, especially in the problem positions of lock and inside centre.
His 26-man party for the Ireland match on June 7, followed by the back-to-back meetings with England, will be announced a week on Sunday.
Tom Voyce, the Wasps wing who suffered a shoulder injury during last weekend's Premiership semifinal victory over Bath but found himself outshone on the orthopaedic front by Danny Cipriani, will be out until the end of August.
Cipriani, recuperating after surgery to repair a fracture dislocation of the ankle, has been named Young Player of the Year by the Professional Rugby Players' Association. His club colleague Riki Flutey is the Players' Player of the Year.
- INDEPENDENT
