KEY POINTS:
If the All Blacks are to win the World Cup, they will rely on a line-up that has been in action only fortnightly to play three matches in the same time frame.
The greatest gamble comes in their quarter-final next week in Cardiff, when about 12 players with negligible games this season are charged with keeping the campaign afloat.
If successful, in what looms as a sudden-death shootout against France, the bulk of that side may then be asked to push through another two matches if they are to emulate their triumphant 1987 World Cup predecessors.
But coach Graham Henry has regularly expressed concern about players' ability to play three matches in succession and he may be planning to make a number of changes if the All Blacks make the semis.
All that cotton-wool planning will be wasted if the side's schedule becomes a bus trip down the M4 to Heathrow and a trip home after a tournament quarter-final exit.
The selectors have shown an unerring faith in their players' ability to front after layoffs.
They do not see it as a gamble and have persisted with that tactic throughout this World Cup.
Of those chosen for tonight's final pool game against Romania in Toulouse, only Luke McAlister, Jerry Collins, Sitiveni Sivivatu or Joe Rokocoko and maybe Keith Robinson will get the green light for Cardiff.
As much as Henry has offered a selection olive branch to the rest of the squad, it looks like they will be scrapping for places on the reserves bench in Cardiff.
The panel's reaction, had Mils Muliaina or Leon MacDonald been fit, held a great deal of intrigue but their absence allowed them to keep Nick Evans at fullback and pick Daniel Carter again before he pulled out last night with injury and was replaced by McAlister.
Sivivatu gets the chance to find some rhythm tonight. Others like Richie McCaw, Tony Woodcock, Chris Jack, Luke McAlister and Conrad Smith, who started against Scotland, will also get a run from the bench.
But it is not the same as feeling the tension, sucking in the emotion and channelling that energy from the opening whistle.
However, all year the All Black selectors have dared to be different.
They have stuck with their strategy since they conditioned the bulk of the squad through the first half of the Super 14 series.
They have used players sparingly, they have rotated the squad, they have been consistent in their mix 'n match choices.
For the most part the forwards seem to have coped - with the scrum a dominant force - but the backs have shown alarming error rates, handling lapses and a lack of timing against quality rivals.
There is no question the All Blacks are honed physically, they may be the fittest side in the competition yet there must be concerns about their match hardness, especially as players have been used sparingly in a weak pool.
They have gone into each pool game like this next task against Romania, knowing victory is assured.
They spoke about flicking the mental switch for their hardest match with Scotland and it did not happen.
The bulk of combination used against Scotland has been spelled this weekend and will need to be in sync in Cardiff or it will be lights out.
All Blacks
Joe Rokocoko
Isaia Toeava
Aaron Mauger
Sitiveni Sivivatu
Luke McAlister
Andrew Ellis
Sione Lauaki
Chris Masoe
Jerry Collins (c)
Keith Robinson
Reuben Thorne
Greg Somerville
Keven Mealamu
Neemia Tialata
Romania
Iulian Dumitras
Stefan Ciuntu
Csaba Gal
Romeo Gontineac
Gabriel Brezoianu
Ionut Dimofte
Lucian Sirbu
Ovidiu Tonita
Alexandru Manta
Florin Corodeanu
Cristian Petre
Sorin Socol (c)
Silviu Florea
Marius Tincu
Bogdan Balan
All Blacks: Andrew Hore, Tony Woodcock, Chris Jack, Richie McCaw, Brendon Leonard, Doug Howlett, Conrad Smith.
Romania: Razvan Mavrodin, Paulica Ion, Valentin Ursache, Cosmin Ratiu, Valentin Calafeteanu, Florin Vlaicu, Dav Vlad or Catalin Dascalu.
