Sopoaga the form first five-eighths

Deciphering the carefully worded comments of players and coaches early in the week is one of the great challenges of covering the All Blacks.

The test day squad is announced publicly two days before the match, however it is revealed internally three days earlier on most occasions.

The question everyone is asking themselves in Johannesburg this week is who starts at first five — Beauden Barrett, Lima Sopoaga or Colin Slade?

Slade has been with the group the longest and has featured off the bench in Apia and Christchurch, Barrett is the incumbent based on last year’s end-of-year tour form, while Sopoaga is fresh into the squad having guided the Highlanders to history.

When assistant coach Ian Foster spoke on Monday, he was asked about how the 11 members of the 31-man tour squad — seven Hurricanes and four Highlanders — who didn’t play against either Samoa or Argentina would be used. “The decisions we will be making ‘are they ready’?” In terms of combining a first five with a halfback, the All Black selectors are spoiled for choice in a couple of regards. All three contenders have their Super Rugby halfback in the squad — TJ Perenara for Barrett, Aaron Smith for Sopoaga and Andy Ellis for Slade.

Also the quartet of Barrett, Slade, Smith and Perenara has enjoyed good amounts of time together in tests last year.

So then you ask yourself of the three contenders “are they ready?”.

I’m not convinced Barrett’s knee is 100 per cent, so I’m taking him out

is of the equation this week. Now we’re down to Colin Slade and Lima Sopoaga.

Slade has more experience and has been with this year’s squad longer.

But he also has way more versatility and the All Blacks selectors often talk about balance on the bench.

Slade covers first five, wing, and fullback and, at a pinch second five as well. Sopoaga is a first-five. So the track record suggests Sopoaga starts with Slade on the bench.

If these educated guesses are accurate, starting Sopoaga at Ellis Park would be a huge call by the selectors. Mind you, given their track record, who would we be to argue with them?

Nigel Yalden is on tour with the All Blacks thanks to Air New Zealand — Crazy About Rugby