KEY POINTS:
Piri Weepu's World Cup rejection was a rare sign of recent rugby candour.
It was hard to fault the assessment, delivered by All Black coach Graham Henry, that the halfback had not played particularly well during the Tri-Nations.
But from there it gets a bit fuzzy. To suggest
Weepu forfeited his place because of form while others were cut a great deal more selection slack did not quite stack up.
Nor did Andy Ellis's elevation. He played well last year and deserved to be an All Black but his work dipped this season and to use his play with the Junior All Blacks as reason for his selection seemed a bit lame.
If anyone could be narked it would be another former All Black halfback, Jimmy Cowan, who has played strongly all year.
Weepu had 10 minutes as a sub against the Boks in Durban and 30 replacement minutes against the Wallabies at the MCG and was then certainly sluggish in his only start against the Springboks. But to go from starting halfback to number four at best after the World Cup announcement seemed unusual. Others got more leeway.
Conrad Smith has scarcely played, Byron Kelleher's form has fluctuated, Chris Masoe has not made much of an impression and Reuben Thorne has trundled on.
No wonder Weepu was described as annoyed and disappointed by his manager.
If form was the only criterion, I applaud the decision but cannot fathom why others were not treated to similar standards and how Cowan then missed promotion.
Other forces must be at work.
Remember this happened in a week when we have been subjected to all sorts of stories that would flood the billboard market for a certain brewing company. Just think two words and you'll get the drift.
Luke McAlister going to Manchester for the lifestyle (insert words), Ellis's form compares better than Weepu's, Graham Henry got a note under his hotel door about his squad's dawnbreakers, Greg Cooper wanted a demotion to assistant coach in the Super 14.
Weepu's problem can be traced back to the Cotton Wool Club. He was one of the 22 foundation members and had a very ordinary end-of-year tour. If the All Black selectors had to have a reconditioning group, it made more sense for them to pick a top XV and put them to work.
Instead they widened the group, although it appeared Weepu got the message about his fitness and there were all sorts of positive noises from the national selectors even when he came back to the Super 14 and played half his games at first five-eighths.
Add on comments from the coaches that they wanted their players peaking at the World Cup, not now, and it all hinted at the CWC members getting an automatic trip to the tournament.
There have been murmurs about Weepu's difficulties sticking to his diet and fitness regimes, and some imprudent social decisions, including the recent late night out in Auckland.
He was only one of six players fined for that indiscretion but if Weepu was a borderline selection, Henry's subsequent comments about players needing to conduct themselves appropriately may have carried extra meaning.
McAlister's voluntary departure after the World Cup, with Aaron Mauger and Sam Tuitupou, opens up the second five-eighths vacancy. Candidates have this provincial championship and the Super 14 to make their statements.
Ma'a Nonu, Tamati Ellison, Anthony Tuitavake, Steven Brett, Tim Bateman, Stephen Donald and Tane Tu'ipulotu will all give it a shunt but it could be that Isaia Toeava, who excelled at second five-eighths for the NZ under-19 side, may shift in a place, with Richard Kahui giving Conrad Smith some heat at centre.
That is in the future, just like Nick Evans' transfer to Auckland, which will offer the Blues more exciting backline talent to sift next season.
