Blues hooker Keven Mealamu will captain a side in which several players who have been injured will get a last-chance audition in Port Elizabeth next weekend before the squad for the seventh global tournament is announced.
Half the regular test side has been grounded including regular skipper Richie McCaw, fullback Mils Muliaina, five-eighth Daniel Carter and lock Brad Thorn who have accumulated nearly 250 caps among them.
Otago captain Tom Donnelly made a fleeting appearance in the All Black camp yesterday, joining the squad as injury cover for Jarrad Hoeata.
But Hoeata was cleared of serious injury late yesterday and will take his place on the plane which leaves for South Africa this morning. Donnelly will link up with his Otago team-mates today in Hamilton.
Players needed for the World Cup will link up with the squad again for the August 27 test against the Wallabies in Brisbane. Others staying in New Zealand are Conrad Smith, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Kieran Read, Owen Franks, Tom Donnelly, Corey Flynn and Ben Smith.
Those decisions mean McCaw's latest 19-test stretch as captain has been broken, with Mealamu leading the side after taking them to a win against Scotland in 2008.
Most of the All Blacks leave for South Africa today although two of the squad - Israel Dagg and Zac Guildford - have been chosen to play for Hawkes Bay against Bay of Plenty and will fly to the republic tomorrow.
Coach Graham Henry explained his rationale as a strategy to give some of the well-travelled players in the squad some respite while it gave the selectors a gauge on fringe World Cup candidates.
"We think we have a strong squad going to South Africa and our expectations are high," Henry said. "We expect to play well and we expect to win.
"We are looking after players so some who have travelled a lot are not going, some of the players who haven't played a lot are playing and we will try and give them that opportunity."
Dagg has not played rugby for three months after damaging his thigh muscle during the Super 15. He played club rugby last week, will play an ITM Cup game today and will start against the Springboks.
"It is a big ask but he needs that opportunity and he is a great young player and if he is going to have a chance of getting in this World Cup team we have to give him that opportunity," Henry said.
Those players left at home were very experienced and on individual training programmes to have them in strong condition when they linked up next with the All Blacks in Brisbane.
"They are very self-sufficient so they will be fine."
The All Black selectors had spoken to most of them before the start of the test programme against Fiji and explained their intentions.
"We did not get much of an argument," Henry said.
"Conrad Smith, for example, had not played much footy and I'm sure he would have liked to go but we didn't ask him, so we didn't have an argument. But Richard Kahui needed to play if he is going to have a chance of getting in the World Cup side."
Five-eighth Colin Slade had to run the side at some stage and this was the chance to give him that experience in a game where the 'Boks would be keen for revenge.
Some might see the All Black tactics as a danger for their momentum.
"I think the risk is bigger than that. I think the risk is getting to the World Cup where a lot of players have not had any experience of playing top test-match rugby and get thrown into a top quarterfinal or semifinal.
"That is a huge risk so I think we have to do our best to prepare for that and maybe there is a little risk now, we don't think that, but if you are looking at that you have to take it now."
ALL BLACKS
- Travelling squad
• Backs: Israel Dagg, Isaia Toeava, Hosea Gear, Zac Guildford, Cory Jane, Richard Kahui, Sonny Bill Williams, Ma'a Nonu, Colin Slade, Piri Weepu, Andy Ellis, Jimmy Cowan.
• Forwards: Victor Vito, Adam Thomson, Liam Messam, Jerome Kaino, Sam Whitelock, Ali Williams, Jarrad Hoeata/Tom Donnelly, Ben Franks, Tony Woodcock, John Afoa, Wyatt Crockett, Keven Mealamu (c), Andrew Hore.
Left at home: Mils Muliaina, Conrad Smith, Daniel Carter, Ben Smith, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Richie McCaw, Kieran Read, Brad Thorn, Owen Franks, Corey Flynn, Tom Donnelly.
- Wynne Gray
