KEY POINTS:
Four All Blacks exempt from early Super 14 duty have missed the cut for the second test against France with Aaron Mauger and Piri Weepu perhaps the biggest casualties.
Former skippers Anton Oliver and Reuben Thorne are the others overlooked for Paris on Sunday but that was always likely. Oliver is one of three protected hookers on tour and this is Keven Mealamu's shot with Andrew Hore to come from the bench.
Thorne has been omitted from the reserves in favour of Jason Eaton, who fits the lock/blindside flanker role and is also bypassing the opening part of next season's Super 14.
But Mauger, who has played 38 tests, has been overtaken by Ma'a Nonu as second five-eighths and is also unable to nudge ahead of Luke McAlister in the reserves. "In the two games we have played I think Ma'a has played the best of those three; Luke has played exceptionally well as well," said coach Graham Henry.
Mauger had gone into the England test with a slight injury but he would bounce back.
Halfback Weepu has lost out in a three-way scrap to Byron Kelleher who will start, and rookie Andrew Ellis.
Weepu cut a disconsolate figure at training yesterday and Henry was moved to have at least one consoling discussion with him. It is a slap for Weepu but he was not at his sharpest in Lyon and while appearances can be deceptive, he does not look as toned as most of his teammates.
No matter how hard the coaching staff of Henry, Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith tried, questions at the team naming yesterday always seemed to return to the new midfield union of Nonu and Mils Muliaina.
"I'd hate to think we are becoming obsessed with this," Smith said at one stage.
Henry said the selection strategy had been to get the best players on to the field and that meant positional switches for Muliaina and Nonu once it was decided to start with Leon MacDonald at fullback.
All Black analysis and statistics showed Nonu had a huge game against England, MacDonald was class at Lyon and Muliaina had been the "most consistent 13 in New Zealand this year".
"He is a very experienced player, he has got good feel for the game no matter where he plays, he is a good talker and he is going to help a young guy inside him who has not played a lot of test match football."
This is Nonu's first test selection at second five-eighths in the four years he has been in and around the All Blacks squad.
"Although we will pick the best team each week it won't be the same team," Henry added in a modification to his initial plan to have the same 22 finish out the tour.
"It is the No 1 team today, it might not be next week or for the World Cup. It just depends on form at the time and who is fresh and ready to go and who needs a bit of a rest. It is the best team we could name right now."
Analysis from Twickenham showed Nonu had carried the ball a great deal, made six line breaks, and worked hard in defence where he missed a couple of tackles. He had continued to impress from the bench at Lyon.
His inclusion probably signals a shift in tactics from the All Blacks for this test and the need from set-play to hold the French defence in midfield rather than let it drift.
Little is seen of any kicking game Nonu has and if he is used as a first receiver from the rucks then his instincts will be to attack the line and commit the inside defenders.
If he breaks he will have support from any of Richie McCaw, Rodney So'oialo or Jerry Collins or will tie up enough defenders to create room with quick recycled possession.
"The time he has had so far on tour, he has nailed," Smith said.
"I think if you ask the opposition, he is a handful. He is a player the opposition find difficult to look after with his workrate with ball in hand."
It was asking a great deal of Nonu to fill the organisation role which usually fell to Mauger but the 24-year-old Wellingtonian had experienced players either side of him.
His selection was not an experiment, Nonu had been picked on form.
"He has been irresistible a lot on tour and with ball in hand he has been difficult to handle and we think he will challenge the French defence."
Henry was unsure where Nonu would settle into the side in future but this week he was at second five-eighths and that was probably his best position.
Muliaina is the major beneficiary of that thinking in the search for the best replacement for Tana Umaga.
The All Blacks have used five players at centre this season and Muliaina will have started in half of the 12 tests. Other contenders, Nonu, Casey Laulala, Isaia Toeava and Conrad Smith never played two in succession. Nonu is the fourth second five-eighths this season after Mauger, Sam Tuitupou and McAlister.
