KEY POINTS:
Had another specialist lock of international calibre been available, Keith Robinson would have joined an unfortunate list of All Blacks picked for World Cups but who never played.
However, the injury-plagued Robinson must play and survive the final pool game against Romania or be replaced.
As galling as
it must have been for Robinson to have broken down with another calf injury during soccer training in Corsica, he has benefited from staying on tour.
Otherwise he would have joined Bruce Deans, Frano Botica, Steve Gordon, Graham Dowd, Bruce Reihana and Ben Blair who were picked for World Cups but, through injury or circumstance, never played for the All Blacks at those tournaments.
That could still happen if Robinson is asked to go full throttle at training this week and his leg cannot handle the burden. Then he should be replaced, probably by the versatile Troy Flavell ahead of the injured Ross Filipo and steady Greg Rawlinson.
When the selectors looked at that group of alternatives, they probably reasoned that if Robinson could recover by the third game against Scotland, they were better persevering with him than calling for a replacement.
It would have been very different if Jason Eaton or James Ryan had been playing and not rehabbing from season-ending knee injuries. Robinson would have been shipped out and one of them called up.
The All Black selectors also knew they would stroll through their World Cup section so they were able to give Robinson the leeway he and the medical crew needed.
That tactic was starting to look a little grim as Robinson's progress slowed and it became clear he would not start tomorrow's test at Murrayfield.
But along came Reuben Thorne to save Robinson. Thorne had been struggling with an obstinate hamstring but passed a fitness test to start as locking cover. Another lucky marble for Robinson.
But that reprieve cannot last another full week. Robinson has to play against Romania and convince the medics that he could also back up for the quarter-finals and beyond, or he should be dispatched.
Otherwise the words of coach Graham Henry will seem very empty after he explained his reasons for stacking the reserves bench against Portugal with tight forwards. The big men, he said, needed to tick over regularly with matchplay.
Robinson has shown an uncanny ability to return from injury and deliver at the top level. But his worklog this season would run to about seven games of rugby.
The last time he played was at Eden Park against the Wallabies more than two months ago. He has missed playing training camp matches as his calf refused to behave.
He may lack some of the finesse of the other locks but Robinson brings a rugged edge to his play, he smacks into rucks and mauls and is very strong in the air.
The longer the All Black staff have kept him in the squad the more difficult it has been to cut him.
For a management which has seemed to cover every contingency in this campaign, there may be an element of sentiment about Robinson, as it is widely believed he was going to retire after this tournament. If that is the case, the selectors may have allowed that outlook to sway their reaction to Robinson's plight.
The side has cruised through two games, players are yelling out for match time so Robinson's absence gave them the chance to keep fellow locks Chris Jack and Ali Williams humming along.
There is also the problem about whistling someone up from New Zealand and having them in sync and over their travel fatigue for a quarter-final.
It is not as simple as 2003, when Norm Maxwell waited in Australia for several weeks until he was not required to replace a recovering Ali Williams.
This is crunch week. Reuben Thorne needed to survive this weekend against Scotland because the All Blacks tend to choose a utility lock/loose forward rather than a lock and another loose forward on their bench.
That would allow them the luxury of retaining a fit but match-shy Robinson in the squad in case either Williams or Jack was damaged.
