KEY POINTS:
Three games from World Cup glory and, crucially, three days from a decision on whether backline linchpin Daniel Carter starts that quarter-final match in Cardiff.
The All Black campaign is not in ruins if the first five-eighths fails a fitness test on his damaged calf but it will
look much more potent for their first serious challenge of this tournament if Carter is available.
Carter and the selectors were being cagey about any predictions on the five-eighths' health, although coach Graham Henry sounded more optimistic than he had when he revealed the initial diagnosis.
"Casting my amateur eye over him from a distance, he looks pretty good to me, but I am not on the medical staff," Henry said.
And he was talking tough about the calibre of Nick Evans or Luke McAlister if either had to deputise for Carter in Cardiff.
"We are not panicking, we know we have two good players there who can do the business."
Both showed those qualities against Romania in Toulouse, but they got some serious latitude from a gallantly inferior rival.
Medical drama Keith Robinson played 55 minutes in his comeback test before he was spelled, and injured fullbacks Mils Muliaina and Leon MacDonald both ran strongly, if not at full speed, in a touch rugby fitness session after the game.
Carter and Carl Hayman were the only ones not involved but they went through a rigorous boxing workout under the timekeeping supervision of scrum adviser Mike Cron and Henry.
The boxing duo swapped between jabbing or donning the hit shields and Carter showed no signs of favouring his left calf during the strenuous drills.
Carter, captain Richie McCaw, Hayman, Chris Jack and Muliaina have been the go-to men for Henry during the bulk of his coaching tenure.
He has been far more prepared to rest or swap other players than the core quintet.
Since Carter was swapped to first five-eighths on the tour to Europe in 2004 he has missed just 10 of 39 internationals. Three of those were because of injury, a further one when an alternative team went to Argentina and two when sides were completely changed on a weekly basis on the Grand Slam tour.
Evans and McAlister have both deputised four times, when they have shown strong responses and high-quality goalkicking.
As handy as they are, though, they do not have the x-factor Carter brings to the All Blacks.
Evans started at fullback on Saturday and switched to first five-eighths for the final 25 minutes as the selectors tried to give other players some meaningful matchplay.
He enjoyed playing both positions but made his preference clear.
"I thought I actually played all right at fullback but I felt a lot more comfortable moving into first five and directing traffic a bit more," he said.
Evans had delighted backs coach Wayne Smith with the precision of his play.
"He showed he is a quality player," said Smith. "I am sure there are a lot of other teams in the world where he would be their first choice and I guess that is difficult for him with Daniel around, but he has taken every chance."
Meanwhile, Henry let slip that he thought the All Blacks would be playing France in the Cardiff quarter-final, an outcome which would be decided only after matches early today. He and his fellow selectors were going to watch those games live.
His side had not been overburdened during pool play, with their smallest winning margin the 40-0 win against Scotland. The All Blacks had no control over a schedule against Italy, Portugal, Scotland and Romania but would be up against quality sides in the playoffs.
"I guess in the back of your mind you are always concerned about knockout rugby, aren't you," Henry said.
"We have been involved in knockout rugby for the last 20 years and we haven't survived it. So there is some concern in the back of your head. But I think we have to stay in the now and do our best each day and play well in the first knockout game."
Stand-in captain Jerry Collins said it had been a difficult week because the team were guaranteed a playoff berth and had to prepare for a match they were always going to win.
In those circumstances players were sometimes guilty of looking ahead. His side had played well in patches and made a few mistakes, but he was fairly pleased.
QUARTER-FINALS
All live TV3
Australia v England
Sunday 2am, Marseille
New Zealand v France
Sunday 8am, Cardiff
South Africa v Fiji
Monday 2am, Marseille
Scotland v Argentina
Monday 8am, St Denis
