All Blacks make bold selections

If the All Blacks are to retain the Webb Ellis Cup, they have to keep evolving. All Blacks coach Steve Hansen keeps warning us that winning the Rugby Championship isn’t a major priority in his swansong year, because he has bigger things to worry about.

These are his goals: To win the World Cup, prevent the Aussies’ fingerprints taking the shine off the Bledisloe and, as an added bonus, to claim another Rugby Championship title.

But to win the big prize, there might have to be some short-term pain.

So Hansen has started off by making some interesting selections for the test against Argentina in Buenos Aires on Sunday morning.

1 VAEA FIFITA NABS NO 6 The tussle to fill the vacancy at blindside flanker is officially on.

With Liam Squire making himself unavailable Fifita gets first crack at the job although, to be fair, the competition isn’t intense. Shannon Frizell has stayed behind in New Zealand because of injury and Jackson Hemopo has been listed on the bench as the reserve lock/No 6.

Pitching the uncapped Luke Jacobson, who we are told is capable of playing anywhere in the back row, into this game off the bench makes sense.

2 OFA TUUNGAFASI AT LOOSEHEAD PROP

Tuungafasi isn’t afraid to hop to the loosehead side for the All Blacks.

Although he has spent most of his 26-test career operating at tighthead, Tuungafasi will switch for this one because the experienced Joe Moody has been left in New Zealand, and Karl Tu’inukuafe isn’t in the match-day 23.

The uncapped Atu Moli will provide cover off the bench.

Tuungafasi won’t be complaining. Versatility is king when it comes to World Cups and if he passes this exam it’s another gold star in his file.

‘‘He’s very comfortable at tighthead and getting more and more so at loosehead,’’ Hansen said. ‘‘So this is an opportunity to

give him a start there and see what he can do.’’

3 ARDIE SAVEA AT NO 8

You have to return to the test against Samoa in 2017 to discover the first time Savea started a test at No 8.

With skipper Kieran Read not asked to travel to Argentina, Savea, an athletic No 7 in his own right, has been instructed to get increased exposure at the back of the scrum.

This allows stand-in captain Sam Cane, who will lead the All Blacks for the third time, to continue to operate at openside flanker, with the uncapped Jacobson riding the pine.

Hansen said the selectors have to be prepared to take chances in World Cup year. The No 8 job isn’t foreign to Savea but it clearly helps to give him time there in case Read gets injured.

4 JORDIE BARRETT ON THE LEFT WING

Barrett is becoming the Everywhere Man of the All Blacks’ backline.

This explains why he was listed alongside Braydon Ennor as being a utility back when the 39-man squad for the Rugby Championship was unveiled.

This will be the first time Barrett has started on the left wing in a test. In Rome last year, when he scored four tries, he roamed on the opposite flank.

The majority of his nine appearances have been at fullback, although he also replaced midfielder Sonny Bill Williams in the third test against France last year.

Hansen said giving Barrett a run on the left wing allowed debutant Sevu Reece to stay in his favoured position at No 14:

5 BEN SMITH AT FULLBACK There’s a lot to like about this. With Damian McKenzie unavailable because of a serious knee injury, the selectors have had to reassess ahead of the World Cup. There’s no point rabbiting about what Smith can do in this position because it’s obvious. It’s hard to find many better in this job.

In recent seasons Smith has often been shifted to the right wing, to allow Jordie Barrett and McKenzie to get a go at fullback.

Smith says he doesn’t care where he plays. That’s fine, but many would say he is the world’s best with a No 15 on his back.