ANALYSIS: Changes to the All Blacks are inevitable after the team’s humiliation at the hands of the Springboks and the selectors’ attention may focus on centre Billy Proctor and fullback Damian McKenzie.
The pair are probably most at risk of losing their places for the crunch Test against Australia at Eden Park a week on Saturday after the team’s record-breaking 43-10 thrashing by South Africa in Wellington at the weekend.
Asked in the wake of the defeat, which allowed the Boks to retain the Freedom Cup, whether he would consider changes, head coach Scott Robertson said: "You're always looking at what's the best team, cohesion... and what's the best for this occasion, this game.
"We'll see next week."
Proctor, who made his Test debut against Fiji in San Diego last year, has been given an extended run in the No.13 jersey – he has started in six of the All Blacks’ seven Tests this year, including the loss to Argentina in Buenos Aires.
He has played eight Tests in total and probably had his best attacking performance of the year in the first half at the weekend but defensively he was caught out several times and presumably the selectors will want more solidity against a hugely impressive Wallabies midfield featuring breakout star Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i.
Proctor’s intercepted pass for Cheslin Kolbe’s first try at the weekend was also hugely significant.
At 7-0 up and with Simon Parker and Leroy Carter unmarked outside him on the left flank, Proctor’s error probably added up to a 14-point play as the All Blacks would have been odds-on to score themselves but for Kolbe’s intervention.
Anton Lienert-Brown, yellow carded as a substitute during the All Blacks’ win over Argentina in Cordoba last month, is a possibility to replace him for his greater experience and variety on attack alongside Jordie Barrett.
Lienert-Brown, who has played 86 Tests, suffered a head injury when making the high tackle which sent him to the sinbin against the Pumas and has not played since, but he would strike as an ideal option for a backline which has not operated with consistent cohesion all year.
Similarly, the All Blacks’ failure under the high ball against the Boks in both Tests, for which Robertson had few (public) answers after the match in Wellington, may mean a change at fullback for Eden Park.
McKenzie, for all his attacking ability, appears a far better option on the bench, and, while he was guilty of a wild kick-pass in the first half at the Cake Tin, he must be considered a more reliable impact player than Ruben Love, a 24-year-old who was playing in only his third Test at the weekend.
It should be noted that the All Blacks’ frailty under the high ball has not been confined to the Boks Tests.
It has been present throughout the year, including during the three Tests against France in July, and returning Will Jordan, one of the best fullbacks in the world (and definitely New Zealand), from the right wing to the No.15 jersey appears a non-negotiable.
Carter’s performance on his Test debut was one of the few highlights for the All Blacks at the weekend and the selectors will presumably back him again.
Caleb Clarke, good under the high ball and now fit again after two games for Auckland and a solid training week with the All Blacks in Wellington, must come into contention for the other wing spot.
Rieko Ioane, dropped for the latest Test, will be in the frame but Carter’s energy in the No.11 jersey highlighted what is achievable for a player willing to look for work and the selectors may want a different option.
Beauden Barrett, the All Blacks' incumbent No.10, is not necessarily in danger of demotion but his kicking strategy and execution should come under scrutiny.
There will be a change at halfback following another Noah Hotham ankle injury, and the return to fitness of halfback Cam Roigard, who has been sidelined since July with a stress fracture in a foot, is a huge boost because the All Blacks have badly missed his attacking threat.
Another No.9, Cortez Ratima, will also be back in the frame after recovering from a rib problem which sent him from the field early in the team’s loss to Argentina in Buenos Aires.
Ratima will presumably be selected for the bench against the Wallabies, with Quinn Tupaea an option as midfield cover but how long the selectors can continue to ignore the talents of Leicester Fainga’anuku, who has starred for Tasman after returning from France, is an intriguing subplot.
Ironically, perhaps, there may not be too many changes to the pack despite its failings in the set piece opening the door for the Boks’ remarkable comeback at the weekend during which they scored 36 unanswered points in the second half.
Hooker Codie Taylor would be a welcome addition to the match-day squad after being ruled out with concussion at the weekend.
Starting hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho performed well but the gap between that pair and Brodie McAlister, who saw several of his lineout throws stolen by the Boks as the All Blacks’ set piece went into freefall in the final quarter, is significant.
The focus will once again go on the All Blacks' record at Eden Park in the build-up to their next assignment - and Australia have not beaten New Zealand there since 1984.
A victory will allow the All Blacks to retain the Bledisloe Cup ahead of the return match in Perth on October 4 but, after the catastrophic result against the Boks, it will do little to suggest that this is a team that possesses significant resilience or the ability to find solutions under concerted pressure.
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