Steve Hansen has ruthlessly chopped two-time winner Owen Franks from the New Zealand squad bidding for an unprecedented hat-trick of consecutive World Cup triumphs.
And he’s and Ireland can handle the extra pressure which has been put on them.
“This Rugby World Cup looks like being the most fiercely-contested yet, with a large number of teams all believing they can win,” said former Wales coach Hansen, before pointedly saying: "This will bring possibly more pressure and expectation on them than ever before and it will be interesting to see who can and who can’t cope with it."
Hansen, according to insiders in New Zealand, is keen to ramp up the pressure on Wales and Ireland by questioning their mental strength by comparing it with that of his prolific winners.
“We’re looking forward to tackling that pressure head on and enjoying everything that comes with it,” he said.
“We know it’ll be tough and that we’ll need to earn the right, every time we play, to continue throughout the tournament.
“However, that’s exciting and knowing we’ve faced that pressure before gives us confidence.”
WalesOnline Rugby Correspondent Andy Howell runs the rule over the Kiwi squad picked by Hansen and gives his verdict on whether they can create history by lifting the World Cup three times in a row.
THE NEW ZEALAND SQUAD
Forwards: Dane Coles, Codie Taylor, Liam Coltman, Atu Moli, Nepo Laulala, Joe Moody, Angus Ta’avao, Ofa Tuungafasi, Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett, Sam Whitelock, Patrick Tuipulotu, Kieran Read (capt), Sam Cane, Ardie Savea, Matt Todd, Luke Jacobson.
Backs: TJ Perenara, Aaron Smith, Brad Weber, Beauden Barrett, Richie Mo’unga, Jack Goodhue, Anton Lienert-Brown, Ryan Crotty, Sonny Bill Williams, Jordie Barrett, George Bridge, Rieko Ioane, Sevu Reece, Ben Smith.
THE SHOCK OMISSIONS
Top coaches, in any sport, aren’t afraid to make big decisions and Hansen is cut from the same Kiwi cloth as Warren Gatland.
The Wales boss didn’t have any qualms about sacking Ryan Jones as his captain or bringing the international careers of Martyn Williams, Adam Jones, Mike Phillips and Jamie Roberts, among others, to an abrupt ending.
Hansen is just as ruthless in the quest for glory and has left out 108-Test cap prop Franks.
He said: “We believe the game requires us to have big, mobile No.1s and No.3s and in this case we feel the guys we’ve named are more so than he.”
Centre Ngani Laumape was also ditched as Hansen plumped for the extra experience of Ryan Crotty while flanker Liam Squire also got the chop.
THE LITTLE-KNOWN PLAYERS PICKED BY HANSEN
Luke Jacobson has replaced Squire while rookie props Atu Moli, Nepo Laulala and Angus Ta’avao are still work in progress.
Versatile but inexperienced backs George Bridge, Sevu Reece and Jordie Barrett have made a permitted squad of 31, split into 17 forwards and 14 backs.
Hansen swung the back-three axe following a record defeat to Australia in Perth earlier this month and could again go down the road of starting with Beauden Barrett at full-back, with Richie Mo’unga at outside-half.
THE BRODIE RETALLICK GAMBLE
The importance of Retallick, who is one of the best locks in world rugby, was highlighted by his inclusion.
Retallick dislocated a shoulder against South Africa in Wellington last month and is unlikely to be fit until the knock-out stage.
New Zealand shouldn’t have any problems reaching the quarter-finals because the Springboks are their only real rivals in a weak Pool B with the top two finishers advancing.
“The update is his shoulder is still sore. We don’t expect him to play in the round robin, but we’re reasonably sure we should make the quarter-finals, and from there we don’t know,” admitted Hansen.
“We’ve rolled the dice to take him for that quarter-final.”
They’re likely to face Scotland or Ireland in the last eight although the possibility of hosts and new Pacific Nations Cup kings Japan or Samoa causing an upset can’t be discounted.
What the decision of the Kiwi selectors also shows is the importance of the Retallick-Sam Whitelock boilerhouse partnership.
THE KEY MEN
Retallick, captain Kieran Read, flanker Sam Cane, Whitelock, hooker Dane Coles and X-factor attacker Beauden Barrett.
Whereas people in Wales have fretted about the loss of Taulupe Faletau and Gareth Anscombe to injury, New Zealanders have fingers and everything else crossed Retallick is passed fit and is firing.
Hansen also needs Read, Cane, Whitelock, Coles and Barrett to avoid injury and hit top form because even though they are bookies’ favourties they’re a team in transition and this World Cup may be coming at the wrong time.
THE ALL BLACKS’ PROSPECTS RETAINING THE WORLD CUP
You would never write off the All Blacks but Hansen has turned to rookies like Moli, Jacobsen and Reece in an effort to inject new life into a team that has arguably been on the wane since the drawn Test series with the Lions two years ago.
Their prop stocks are weak, lock is a serious worry in the light of Retallick’s injury, their midfield has been misfiring with a cloud over Sonny Bill Williams and Crotty and there’s growing question-marks about the worth of veteran superstar Ben Smith at full-back or wing.
The All Blacks look strangely vulnerable and, thanks largely to Gatland’s Lions, South Africa, Ireland and Australia all beating them, have lost some of their aura.
History means most will regard New Zealand as the country to beat in Japan but nobody should fear them.
