While debate still rages about whether Scotland should go flat out with their best possible team to try to beat New Zealand on Sunday, the All Blacks have admitted that they are taking a few risks of their own in the team they are fielding for the match. Though Dan Carter and Richie McCaw are both restored to the starting side after being rested for the 100-point win over Portugal, they are taking the chance to let other players put their feet up.

The biggest gamble is in the second row, where Chris Jack, their lineout specialist, is moved back to the bench for Rueben Thorne, usually a flanker, to be given a run at lock after a lengthy lay-off with injury. Elsewhere, Jerry Collins is also given some well-earned time off, while in the backs Graham Henry, the New Zealand coach, has admitted that he is still uncertain of his best midfield combination. “The team that has been selected is not necessarily the best 15,” he said.

“We’ve discussed this and the 30 squad players are more important than the 15 in the team. I want players to think they have a chance of making the 15, but I don’t want to make that decision until after the Romania match [New Zealand’s final pool game on the same day as Scotland play Italy]. There are lots of players competing for the jerseys, which is good.”

Despite rotating the playing squad, Henry is still in a position to field a formidable-looking side with plenty of experience in key positions, where there are experiments blending them with hardened practitioners in the role to minimise any potential weaknesses.

So Thorne is paired with Ali Williams, who has been the form lock for the All Blacks so far this campaign, and more ominously for the rest of the competition, Henry reckons that Keith Robinson, who has with a pulled calf muscle and has not been able to train or play since the side arrived in Europe, will be ready next week to give his squad a clean bill of health going into the knockout stage.

“Obviously, the guy [Thorne] is mobile,” Steve Hansen, the forwards coach, added. “It would be foolish to think that Jack, who he is replacing, is not. We will move it wide when we can and will tighten it up if we have to.Thorne is a good athlete like Jack. Williams and Jack have played all the games so we want to give them a breather and give Reuben a game. He is our back-up lock as well as flanker.”

Having used one blindside specialist in the second row and having also decided to rest Collins, the All Blacks have had to gamble again with Chris Masoe, usually openside, taking over the No 6 shirt where he could find himself up against Jason White, one of the world’s best in the role.

Outside, Conrad Smith is back in action for the second match running as Henry gives him as much game time as possible after his injury problems. This time he is paired with Luke McAllister in a combination that looked promising a year ago but has hardly been able to get together since.

“He [Smith] has struggled all year and struggled on tour,” Wayne Smith, the backs coach, said. “The LukeConrad combination was really good on the last tour, but there’s lots of competition for the No 12 and No 13 jerseys.”

With Scotland still threatening to rest key players to keep them fresh for the clash next week against Italy, which is likely to make or break Scotland’s World Cup campaign, all the New Zealand coaches admit that

they have little idea what to expect from the Scots, though Henry did accept that they are a potentially dangerous outfit. “They’re very efficient,” he said. “They have a good lineout, a good back three and their goalkicker doesn’t miss many shots. They were efficient against Romania and played well in their previous game.”

New Zealand

L MacDonald; D Howlett, C Smith, L McAlister, S Sivivatu; D Carter, B Kelleher; T Woodcock, A Oliver, C Hayman, R Thorne, A Williams, C Masoe, R McCaw (capt), R So’oialo. Replacements: A Hore, N Tialata, C Jack, S Lauaki, B Leonard, N Evans, I Toeava.