How much will All Blacks tinker for second test?

Knee surgery hasn’t slowed Sonny Bill Williams too much.

The second five-eighth tweaked an existing problem during the most recent All Blacks training camp and the subsequent operation was meant to prevent him from training until the end of the month.

But Williams was striding out well as the All Blacks trained at wet Hutt Recreation Ground in Wellington yesterday. Centre Jack Goodhue and loosehead prop Tim Perry were others to participate strongly, as their respective hamstring injuries come right.

The third test against France, in Dunedin on June 23, looms as Williams’ best chance of playing. In the meantime there’s a natural curiosity about whether Steve Hansen and fellow selectors Ian Foster and Grant Fox, opt for any changes this week.

The last 30 minutes of last Saturday’s 52-11 win at Eden Park were fairly emphatic and, while the All Blacks definitely aren’t saying so, you wonder if France have fired their best shot. There’s also rather a lot of good players waiting in the wings, who wouldn’t look out of place in the starting XV to play at Westpac Stadium this week.

Nehe Milner-Skudder, Waisake Naholo, Ngani Laumape, TJ Perenara, Ardie Savea and Vaea Fifita are among the many who’d have to be in contention, depending on what the hierarchy want out of this series.

The back-three is particularly competitive. Jordie Barrett, Ben Smith and Rieko Ioane all performed well there at Eden Park, before Damian McKenzie produced an electrifying cameo at fullback. McKenzie made such an impact that continuing in the finishing role will presumably be his lot.

Whoever’s in the back-three, identifying space and areas to exploit is a must, said Smith. France led the first test 11-8 at halftime, but those 40 minutes were enough to show the players and coaches what might be possible in the second spell.

Even if Smith preferred not to say exactly what.

‘‘I probably don’t want to give too much away there. It’s just making sure that we’re attacking the right zones and that obviously opens up opportunities in the second half if we’re doing that,’’ Smith said.

‘‘Yeah, I find that hard to answer without giving too much away. It’s just making sure as a group we’re sticking to the plan and obviously the opportunities, if we’re nailing that plan, will open up in the second half.’’