Dave Rennie has a selection headache — and a plan. With the All Blacks preparing to close their Nations Championship campaign against Ireland at Eden Park on Saturday, the head coach is weighing a reshuffle of his back row that could see lock Tupou Vaa'i pack down at blindside flanker.
The logic is size and set-piece muscle. New Zealand want to go after an Irish scrum shorn of the injured Andrew Porter and leaning on veteran tighthead Tadhg Furlong, and shifting the towering Vaa'i to No 6 would add ballast to a pack that must front up physically.
"There's a lot of competition for places," Rennie said. "Based on performances over the last couple of weeks, we'll make some calls around that. There will be some really unlucky people missing out because guys have fronted pretty well for us."
Wallace Sititi and Peter Lakai are the men most under pressure after failing to nail down the blindside role, while Anton Segner pushed his claims with an impressive debut. Ardie Savea remains a certainty at No 8 and captain, with Luke Jacobson expected to hold the openside. If Vaa'i moves up, Patrick Tuipulotu and Josh Lord would form the second row.
Rennie made no secret of where he believes the contest will be won.
"They're a good scrum, Italy. They dominated Ireland and others in the Six Nations. Our scrum was solid. It's going to need to be very good this week," he said.
Eden Park gives the fixture its weight. The All Blacks have not lost there since 1994, a record Rennie respects without leaning on. "It's always nice to go to Eden Park. It will be nice to have a lot of supporters cheering for us. It's been a fortress, but what's happened in the past counts for little."
Hooker Codie Taylor framed the Irish as the sternest examination of the campaign. "It's our biggest challenge so far. We've had a good couple of weeks but, personally, I've always had this one in the back of my mind knowing it's going to be a step up and a big Test for us."
Taylor pointed to Ireland's momentum — Andy Farrell's side arrive on a six-match winning run after accounting for Australia and Japan. "The Irish are a class side. I think they've won their last six. They have a real belief in how they play and it's always a tough Test against them."
The set piece is clearly front of mind. "Northern Hemisphere teams have different techniques and strategies. We probably didn't respond to it very well. We'll definitely have a look at it — it's going to be the same with Ireland," Taylor said.
The visitors are not shying from the occasion. Former Ireland midfielder Gordon D'Arcy, a 2009 Grand Slam winner, cast the trip as the truest measure of where Farrell's team stands. "The New Zealand game is the ultimate benchmark. There are no excuses available, no heavy rotation, no rawness, no unfamiliarity to hide behind."
Rennie names his team on Thursday, with the blindside call the one everyone is waiting on.
