KEY POINTS:
EDINBURGH - The All Blacks expressed mild disappointment today upon learning Scotland have named a B team for their rugby World Cup match at Murrayfield here on Monday morning (NZ time).
The match between the two unbeaten teams in pool C was turned on its head when Scottish coach Frank Hadden made 13 personnel changes from his strongest lineup who beat Romania 42-0 on Wednesday at the same ground.
The only starting players retained from that game are backs Chris Paterson and Simon Webster, but they are playing in different positions. Webster moves from his specialist centre to the left wing filling the role of Paterson, who shifts to first five-eighth.
Hadden has made a tactical call to rest his premier team for the crucial match against Italy in St Etienne on Saturday which will probably determine second place in the pool.
"Our mission has always been to qualify from the group stages and press on from there," Hadden told journalists today.
"The schedule we are being asked to fulfil by RWC involves us playing three games in 11 days. International rugby is a huge physical challenge and our aspirations are to progress as far as we can in this tournament and that has to be the over-riding priority in our selection for the games against New Zealand and Italy.
"We believe to get the best outcome for Scotland over the next two games that it's absolutely vital we play the freshest possible squad this weekend and the freshest possible squad against Italy. Had the Portugal and Romania games also fallen like Romania and New Zealand just five days apart we would have done exactly the same thing."
The indications had been strong that this was the route the Scots would take and New Zealand fullback Leon MacDonald, who will play his 50th test, didn't appear surprised.
He said there would be no subconscious easing off.
"It's a little bit of a disappointment but not a major one. They'll still be a good team," MacDonald said.
"We can make a lot of changes in our squad as well and still be confident of knocking teams over. "They're at home in front of a big crowd and a lot of these guys are going to be gunning for this game and really excited about the challenge.
"Sometimes opportunities arise for players to take and they really step up and take it well. Sometimes that can actually spark a team."
Arguably the biggest mismatch of the test will see powerhouse All Blacks prop Carl Hayman pack down against uncapped Gloucester loosehead Alasdair Dickinson, who wasn't originally named in the Scottish squad but was a later injury replacement.
Hayman wasn't getting carried away with the assignment in front of him.
"I still prepare the same and try to do things the same way," he said, before admitting some stronger pool games would have been a preference in the leadup to the quarterfinals.
"The challenges have been what they are, it's a different challenge on Sunday (Monday NZ time).
"Ideally it would be good to play some tough matches leading into the business end of the tournament but these are the cards we've been dealt.
"Everyone's looking forward to a decent hit-out."
Openside flanker John Barclay will also make his Scotland debut, a day out from his 21st birthday.
Barclay, who spent time in New Zealand on a rugby scholarship in 2005, will mark a man he greatly admires, All Blacks captain Richie McCaw.
"He is a fantastic player," Barclay said this week of McCaw.
"When I watch New Zealand I will sometimes ignore the ball completely just to watch what he does, where he goes and what his running lines are. I don't know how he does it, he seems to be able to get to the ball, and then when he should knocked back off it, he is able to distort his body to stay there and get the ball back."
Lock Scott Murray, Scotland's most-capped player, captains the side and another 2005 Lion tourist to New Zealand, Chris Cusiter, comes in for Mike Blair at halfback. Andrew Henderson, scorer of a hat-trick of tries in the warm-up victory over Ireland last month, comes back into the side after recovering from a leg injury.
Former captain Paterson was overlooked for the role because Hadden does not expect him to play the full 80 minutes.
Hadden denied he was risking a morale-sapping hammering at the hands of an All Blacks side at close to full strength.
the coach also dismissed a suggestion that supporters who have paid unprecedented ticket prices for the match were being short-changed.
"The Scotland team that will take the park on Sunday will undoubtedly do their country proud and it will be a fantastic occasion," he said, before insisting that his reshaped side had the potential to claim Scotland's first ever win over New Zealand in 26 tests.
"Australia are the only team to have beaten them this year," he said.
"They did it by tackling as if their lives depended on it, defending magnificently and producing a few moments of magic. If we can do that we can beat them as well."
If Hadden was looking for an omen it is that the match referee is South African Marius Jonker, whose only other test in charge of the All Blacks was that very 15-20 loss to the Wallabies in Melbourne this year.
Scotland
Hugo Southwell, Nikki Walker, Marcus Di Rollo, Andrew Henderson, Simon Webster, Chris Paterson, Chris Cusiter, David Callam, John Barclay, Kelly Brown, Scott Murray (captain), Scott MacLeod, Craig Smith, Scott Lawson, Alasdair Dickinson.
Reserves: Fergus Thomson, Gavin Kerr, Jim Hamilton, Allister Hogg, Rory Lawson, Dan Parks, Rob Dewey
- NZPA
