By CHRIS RATTUE
All Black coach Wayne Smith says tomorrow night's Super 12 final in Canberra will play little or no part in the naming of his first squad on Sunday evening.
Smith has laughed off a newspaper claim that it knows what his first XV will be for the opening test against Tonga at Albany on June 16.
New All Black manager Andrew Martin also weighed in, saying he "absolutely refuted" the claim by a Wellington newspaper, the Post, that it knew what the starting side would be.
The newspaper named a team, captained by Todd Blackadder, which had 10 Crusaders - including seven forwards - in the starters, although it claimed the Super 12 final might force changes.
Smith said he and fellow selectors Tony Gilbert and Peter Thorburn had not even selected their starting side yet, and the 10-day camp at Palmerston North before the first test would play a large part in those selection decisions.
"We've watched so many games already and we've already got our squad in mind," said Smith, who will go to Canberra with the other selectors for the Super 12 final.
"The only area where the final might play a part is injuries, although to be fair, there might be a couple of people who can reconfirm their position because they will be playing under high pressure.
"But we are absolutely nowhere near having sorted out our starting side - we are many miles from there.
"We go into camp for 10 days before the first test and there will be fitness assessments, and we will be working on our new patterns and seeing how people fit into that.
"We've got to make sure we have a plan B, because I think that under real pressure playing against the top teams, the All Blacks haven't really been that successful in recent years.
"We've tried to barge through people but we also need to be able to put people into spaces. But we also want players with the attitude and guts - it's not all about skill and intellectual ability."
The Wellington newspaper claimed the starting XV would be: Christian Cullen, Tana Umaga, Mark Robinson, Pita Alatini, Jonah Lomu, Andrew Mehrtens, Justin Marshall; Ron Cribb, Scott Robertson, Norm Maxwell, Todd Blackadder (c), Taine Randell, Greg Somerville, Mark Hammett, Greg Feek.
Such claims will hardly be viewed with pleasure by the new All Black management, who on the eve of announcing their first squad are faced with newspaper claims of a leak.
Martin said: "We have not got to a point where we have identified a test 15. It is pure speculation.
"I know we have played the selection discussions extremely close to the chest and I would strongly reject any claim that someone on the inside has given out that sort of information."
Meanwhile, the Crusaders have retained halfback Ben Hurst for tomorrow night's final against the Brumbies, even though the franchise's No 2 halfback, Aaron Flynn, has returned from injury.
Justin Marshall has been ruled out again with a calf muscle tear, but Flynn will once again be on the bench.
All Black lock Norm Maxwell, who also missed the semifinal win over the Highlanders with a calf muscle tear, is back in place of Chris Jack.
Brumbies coach Eddie Jones has turned the heat back on the Crusaders, questioning their lineout tactics ahead of the final.
Jones said he was tired of teams querying the legality of the Brumbies' methods, saying it was an obvious attempt to influence the referee.
Crusaders coach Robbie Deans has raised concerns about the Brumbies' use of decoy runners and added a new claim of illegal scrum tactics.
"I think it's pretty disappointing that coaches are bringing that out in a public forum and using it as a way to pressure referees," Jones said.
"It's happened over the past four or five weeks and there seems to be a particular concentration on us."
Jones said he would urge South African referee Andre Watson to keep an eye on the lineouts, believing the Crusaders, as the Brumbies had, were sending in additional men at the last moment.
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