KEY POINTS:
Even those clad in red, singing about their bread in heaven, appreciated the man on the All Black right wing had provided a masterclass in finishing. The people of Cardiff have seen some special tries and in 2005, Rico Gear provided three more for the memory banks.
It
was the first try scored by Gear in the opening test of the Grand Slam tour that forced loyalties to be pushed to one side. They didn't get in the way of admiring the instinctive class that saw Gear coast down his flank, veer in, then veer out to give himself acres of space to reach the chalk.
The Welsh cover defence flailed and flapped in his wake without ever getting a hand on him. It was a score that put the All Blacks on their way to soundly drubbing the Six Nations champions and it also proved Gear had the priceless ability to turn not very much into five points.
His hat-trick couldn't save him from a stint in the rickety stand at Lansdowne Road the following week, with the selectors having chosen their starting teams for Cardiff and Dublin weeks before they left New Zealand.
Doug Howlett took possession of the No 14 jersey and scored twice in another imperious All Black performance.
But Howlett's tries were end of the line stuff - a case of following his nose to make sure he was in the right place to capitalise on the space created by others.
Those close to the team predicted Gear and Joe Rokocoko would be recalled for the critical game against England.
The selectors wanted their top team for the Twickenham clash which was inevitably going to be confrontational with few opportunities to score.
Gear, with his form and confidence riding high and as the more likely conjurer of something magic, would surely get the nod.
But Gear was shunned and looking back, maybe that was the first sign the selection panel had their doubts. He'd scored three tries, displayed every trick in his book and yet still the selectors weren't sold.
They fancied the more stoic portfolio of Howlett. Experience and reliability were the skills they wanted in 2005 and they were backed again last week when Howlett was preferred in the 30-man squad ahead of Gear.
The presence of Sitiveni Sivivatu and Rokocoko in the reconditioning group was confirmation the selectors viewed those two as their preferred starting wings.
The Fijian cousins are both explosive, 100kg-plus athletes who offer power, agility and a sense of adventure.
Just like Gear, they can toss some gunpowder into the mix and make life uncomfortable for opponents who have switched off thinking there is no danger on the horizon.
The selectors are clearly of the view that Sivivatu, Rokocoko and Gear are offering the same skill-sets but the former two have the edge. That's probably fair but the continued preference of Howlett ahead of Gear is worthy of more debate.
Graham Henry revealed last week Gear was the last man he called before the squad was announced. The coach felt omitting the Crusader was the toughest call the panel made.
There wasn't much of an explanation, though, as to what swung things in Howlett's favour, leaving those on the outside to work their own theories, with Gear's defensive frailties promoted as the key to his non-selection.
It's not that he lacks courage or is a technically deficient tackler but there is a perception he doesn't read the game as well as Howlett and lacks some of the positional and decision-making instincts of the Aucklander.
That's the perception but run it past Gear's coach at Tasman, Dennis Brown, and it's quickly shot down.
"We didn't see any issues with his defence. He was outstanding in our environment," said Brown. "We only had him for a few games but he gave us all his knowledge and threw everything into it. He has real ability to break the game open and, without having analysed his games with the Crusaders, I can only think maybe he hasn't done that enough."
It's hard to know whether the statistics support that theory. Gear's haul of seven tries in the Super 14 put him fourth equal on the individual table, with Lelia Masaga the only New Zealander ahead of him. It was a better return than Howlett's but the Aucklander produced so much more than tries.
Howlett's work rate is undisputed. This season especially, he appeared everywhere and his defensive energy was relentless.
And this is where the uncertainty brews about Gear. His energy is not so visible. He gives the impression that he has the occasional blank mental period where he stands firm on his wing with no real interest in what is happening around him.
While Howlett marauds and goes searching for work, Gear can be more tentative, preferring instead to man his flank regardless of how much action is likely to reach it.
That's the perception and when competition for places is so tight, when there is so little to separate the players, the selectors are swayed by perception.
Maybe it came down to a gut feel about Gear. Maybe it was a case of Howlett offering something different in the same way Brendon Leonard does at halfback.
Whatever the rationale, Gear has only six weeks to persuade Henry and his team they were wrong. That's going to be pretty tough when you consider his heroics in Cardiff weren't enough.
