Rock-solid selection clear statement of intent

All Blacks captain Richie McCaw. Photo / Brett Phibbs

There's something reassuring about the side the All Blacks have picked for the opening game.

There's the familiarity of the names for a start. Has there ever been an All Black side with this many automatic picks? It's full of men who've been around for so long no one can remember a time when they weren't All Blacks.

To some, the longevity of that core is a cause for concern - a ticking time bomb that may explode in the next six weeks when the stakes go up and old legs get found out.

That's needlessly pessimistic and out of kilter with how the rest of the world sees it. Every other coach at this World Cup would be laughing all the way to the knockout rounds if they could fill spots with players who have been here for an age, played at World Cups and seen just about everything the game can throw at them.

Experienced players bring a certain comfort and that's what New Zealand should draw from this selection. It isn't as if a team with more than 1200 caps will run out at Wembley, take one look at the size of it, suddenly realise there are a few more watching on the telly and be gripped by panic.

The guarantee from this team is that they will turn up mentally. That's a huge part of World Cups - surely everyone knows that, too?

But it's not just the familiarity of the names that breeds confidence. It's the predictability of the line-up.

The All Blacks are defending champions and have had an incredible four years since they won the 2011 tournament. Nothing says that better, or more starkly illustrates their success, than the fact pretty much everyone in the country was expecting this team to be named.

Not only do the selectors know their strongest team, everyone else does, too. There is no confusion with this All Black side.

The coaches know their players and there are no combinations that they still need to figure out.

That's how it should be, of course, but then look around this tournament and few, if any, of the serious contenders are as fixed about their top side as the All Blacks.

This is a good place to be. Players like consistency, certainty. The 2007 failure was the best example of what happens if selectors keep tinkering and can't make up their minds.

A week out from the quarter-final against France and it was anyone's guess - including the selectors' - who they were going to pair in their midfield. The wings had been narrowed down to four instead of two and there was also a wild card selection at lock.

This team to play Argentina, then, should be viewed as a definitive statement selection from the All Blacks. They have arrived in England with a clear plan. They have answered all the questions they need to in regard to personnel before they left, and are not interested in trying to second guess themselves or confuse opponents.

This is a selection that says the All Blacks will go about their business as usual - trust what they have done in the last four years and leave the high-risk selections to those teams who feel they need to prove a point.