KEY POINTS:
Unrepentant All Blacks coach Graham Henry has pledged to continue his pick 'n' mix choices during the World Cup pool matches.
It was, he said, the only sensible approach to keep the players ticking over physically and to guard against the dangers of lethargy and boredom during such a tournament. It would be "ridiculous" to select his top side throughout, he said.
His experiences coaching other international sides (the Lions and Wales) had delivered strong messages about team dynamics.
"If you have got 30 guys in France for 57 days and some people don't play any rugby, I think that would break the team apart as a unit," Henry said.
"So I think we have got to keep everyone happy as much as we can and keep everybody on the ball and everybody involved and I think that will pull the unit together and make sure the spirit is there.
"And also as I continue to say, in your so-called number-one lineup if you get an injury and you have to replace that person and say it is a semifinal in the World Cup or a final hopefully, and you get a key player injured and the other guy has not played for three months, we would be shot by you and everybody else.
"So we just have to be intelligent in what we do here and make sure we get the balance right, what is right for the spirit of the group and make sure if someone does get injured that we have another player who can take his place."
Henry and his selection panel have made three changes for Saturday's Bledisloe Cup and Tri-Nations decider at Eden Park, leaving a side that may not reassemble until a World Cup quarter-final in Cardiff.
Senior halfback Byron Kelleher, blindsider Jerry Collins and hooker Anton Oliver return while Luke McAlister holds out Aaron Mauger in midfield on playing form.
Mauger conceded his rival had been sharper recently and dismissed a theory that he was paying the price for comments in which he spoke of his frustration at not playing consecutive tests. This was not a selection payback or a method of trying to entice McAlister to stay in New Zealand.
"Not at all, they're above that sort of thing, they're probably not that shallow," he said.
Oliver would start because the panel wanted the best scrummager to begin the test before bringing on Keven Mealamu who was the best playmaker. It was the best side on offer with six players unavailable due to injury or having just completed rehab.
Centre Conrad Smith was not ready for a test of this magnitude and would play in the provincial competition next week. Lock Ali Williams was primed to begin in a fortnight with Auckland while Sitiveni Sivivatu, Leon MacDonald and Ross Filipo were not far away from playing.
Comeback prop Greg Somerville played for Canterbury last week and would repeat that this weekend.
The Wallabies also made several changes before deciding at training yesterday that Adam Ashley-Cooper rather than Chris Latham would replace fullback Julian Huxley who was injured skylarking during club celebrations last weekend. Hooker Stephen Moore and No 8 David Lyons are other changes as the Wallabies search for the Bledisloe Cup which they last held five years ago.
Meanwhile, Henry confirmed Mils Muliaina would switch to centre and Nick Evans move to fullback if Isaia Toeava was injured while Reuben Thorne would cover lock and loose forward because he was firming to deal with both jobs at the World Cup.
Eden Park, 7.35pm Saturday
ALL BLACKS
15. Mils Muliaina
14. Doug Howlett
13. Isaia Toeava
12. Luke McAlister
11. Joe Rokocoko
10. Daniel Carter
9. Byron Kelleher
8. Rodney So'oialo
7. Richie McCaw (c)
6. Jerry Collins
5. Chris Jack
4. Keith Robinson
3. Carl Hayman
2. Anton Oliver
1. Tony Woodcock
Reserves: Keven Mealamu, Neemia Tialata, Reuben Thorne, Chris Masoe, Brendon Leonard, Aaron Mauger, Nick Evans.
AUSTRALIA
15. A. Ashley-Cooper
14. Drew Mitchell
13. S. Mortlock (c)
12. Matt Giteau
11. Mark Gerrard
10. Stephen Larkham
9. George Gregan
8. David Lyons
7. George Smith
6. Rocky Elsom
5. Daniel Vickerman
4. Nathan Sharpe
3. Guy Shepherdson
2. Stephen Moore
1. Matt Dunning
Reserves: Adam Freier, Al Baxter, Hugh McMeniman, Stephen Hoiles, Phil Waugh, Scott Staniforth, Chris Latham.
