Talk about double duty. New skipper Rodney So'oialo has not only inherited the reins of the All Blacks, but also Richie McCaw's vaunted No 7 jersey for Saturday night's Tri Nations opener against the Springboks in Wellington.
So'oialo, as expected, was confirmed today to start on the openside flank in an All Black starting XV showing four personnel changes from the lineup that wrapped up the series against England in Christchurch on June 21.
There is also no confirmation whether bad-boy halfback Jimmy Cowan will take his place on the bench, with the position of reserve No 9 left open pending his misconduct hearing.
Auckland's Jerome Kaino returns in a revamped loose trio caused by the serious ankle injury suffered by McCaw in the 44-12 victory over England. With the skipper out for the first month of the Tri-Nations, coach Graham Henry has elected to beef up his back row with So'oialo pairing with Adam Thomson as a left-right flanker duo and Kaino in at No 8.
It will be the third loose forward position So'oialo will have played this season.
Henry no doubt feels confident the lack of an out-and-out "fetcher" in his match-day makeup will not be as exposed as it might be against a side like, say, the Wallabies.
The Boks present a formidable loose trio, headed by the outstanding Schalk Burger, but their forte is more the power game rather than the subtle one on the deck. Henry's new loose trio should match them in the muscle game and not be too exposed int he hustle one.
The other changes see Mils Muliaina return at fullback at the expense of Leon MacDonald; Tony Woodcock regain the starting loosehead prop berth with the unlucky Neemia Tialata dropping to the bench; and Conrad Smith back at centre despite a strong debut from Richard Kahui against England in Christchurch.
All three selections were expected, even if there was an element of tightness about them.
MacDonald continues to present a legitimate alternative at No 15, though Muliaina's more dynamic qualities see him preferred at present; Tialata played well on both sides of the scrum through the Iveco series, but Woodcock is a proven performer now back to full fitness; while Smith is deservedly given another chance to solidify his midfield partnership with Ma'a Nonu despite an encouraging debut by the talented Kahui.
Lock Ali Williams, who also injured his ankle in the final hitout against England, has been named to start the match, though his fitness will have to be monitored through the week.
"Ali is an experienced player and the limited preparation shouldn't be an issue," said coach Henry. "We just need to get his ankle right first."
Williams is righly being given extra time to get himself right, given as he is now the senior second-rower in the All Blacks and a vital component against the Boks' vaunted locking combination of Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha.
If Williams was not available it would likely pitch rookie Anthony Boric into a daunting starting assignment he would probably find a challenge this early in his career.
Henry has no doubts about the extent of the challenge his side faces this weekend againsta world champion outfit that will smell All Black blood with the absence of McCaw.
Added Henry: "South Africa has a very strong team right now and we have a huge challenge in front of us. We'll need a big step up from our performance in the Iveco Series to be competitive."
There is no place in the match 22 for replacement loose forward Chris Masoe. Sione Lauaki has been preferred as the impact man off the bench.
The All Blacks coaches have also left the position of backup halfback open, clearly waiting to hear the outcome of the Cowan disciplinary hearing that was taking place in Wellington this afternoon.
They will name the bench halfback once that situation becomes clearer, with Cowan facing stern measures after being involved in his second incident involving the police in a matter of weeks.
Piri Weepu would be called up from the NZ Maori squad should Cowan have to be replaced.
NEW ZEALAND: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Rudi Wulf, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Andy Ellis; 8 Jerome Kaino, 7 Rodney So'oialo (c), 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Tony Woodcock. Reserves: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Neemia Tialata, 18 Anthony Boric, 19 Sione Lauaki, 20 to be named, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Leon MacDonald.
