I have been wanting to have a crack at naming the All Blacks and the New Zealand juniors for a week or two now, but with the Maori side that was going to be named, it just made it too hard to work through all the permutations of who was available, who would get prioroty in selection, and who was good enough!

With the Maori's now named, I can have a crack at the Juniors and the All Blacks.  Which will be hard enough as it is, with the reconditioning meaning some players have had limited game time to say the least, while others are just starting to get into the swing of things.  By no means though, will this All Black side be picked on form - if it was, there would be no Joe Rokocoko, no Byron Kelleher, hell, damn near no All Black from last season!!

Anyway, from the grapevines, there is going to be a 26 man Junior side named, and a 30 man All Black squad, with three hookers and halfbacks.

First up then, as it is easier, probably, to name the best players first, and then fill the gaps in the Juniors with the rest, the All Black team.  There are a few no brainer selections of course - Carter, Collins, Mauger, McCaw, Muliaina and company will be there regardless of current form.  But then you have the fringe players, who despite 'reconditioning', might still be grasping at straws to make the All Black side.  Leading players in contention here Reuben Thorne, who, like many other reconditioners, is not in form at all.  However, Thorne needs to be in form, as he is not a starting XVer, and there are other players there or there abouts at his skill levels.  Not experience though, so he might still scrape in.  Not in my team though, but then, I am not naming my team, I am naming the team I expect to see...

Without further ado then, my 30 man All Black squad.

The Bart Blacks.

PROPS:  Carl Hayman, Tony Woodcock, Neemia Tialata, Clark Dermody.
HOOKERS:  Kevin Mealamu, Anton Oliver, Andrew Hore.
LOCKS:  Chris Jack, Keith Robinson, Ali Williams.
UTILITY FORWARD:  Troy Flavell.
LOOSE FORWARDS:  Richie McCaw, Chris Masoe, Jerry Collins, Rodney So'oialo, Mose Tuiali'i, Reuben Thorne.
HALFBACKS:  Byron Kelleher, Piri Weepu, Jimmy Cowan.
FIRST FIVES:  Dan Carter.
MIDFIELD:  Aaron Mauger, Conrad Smith.
UTILITYU BACKS:  Mils Muliaina, Isaia Toeava, Luke McAlister.
OUTSIDE BACKS:  Doug Howlett, Sitivini Sivivatu, Rico Gear, Leon MacDonald.

However, while the above is what I expect to see, I could like to have been able to add the following paragraph after selecting the team sans Thorne and Cowan...

Debutants Ross Filipo and Brendon Leonard, just to prove that you CAN play your way into a closed shop, even in World Cup year!  Both playing out of their skins.  In leonard's case, with the two incumbents not really showing their wares (Ellis and Cowan), and in Filipo's case, as he is the last man standing after all the other locks keep breaking down (Eaton and Ryan)...  However, I don't think that'll happen!

MIAB's Joe Rokocoko to get 80 minutes in each and every game for the Juniors, before coming back into the squad for the Tri Series, at the expense I would expect of Rico Gear, unless Gear plays like two men possessed against Les Frogs and the Canucks.

Unlucky not to make my cut would be Rawlinson, who is playing better rugby now than when he was an All Black, Nick Evans, with first five covered by McAlister, Mauger and MacDonald, another specialist just not needed (and Weepu too, at a pinch).

A test team for the All Blacks from the above mob?  Not a rotated one, but the best we can put on the field...
Woodcock, Mealamu, Hayman, Jack, Robinson, Collins, McCaw, So'oialo, Weepu, Carter, Sivivatu, Mauger, Toeava, Howlett, Muliaina.

Moving right along, the Juniors, a 26 man squad.

The Bart Juniors.

PROPS:  John Afoa, Nathan White, Simms Davison, Campbell Johnstone.
HOOKERS:  Corey Flynn, Tom Wiliis.
LOCKS:  Greg Rawlinson, Jono Gibbes (c), Ross Filipo, Hoani MacDonald.
LOOSE FORWARDS:  Dan Braid, Marty Holah, Sione Lauaki, Jerome Kaino, Kieran Reid.
HALFBACKS:  Brendon Leonard, Andrew Ellis.
FIRST FIVES:  Nick Evans, Stephen Brett.
MIDFIELD:  Anthony Tuitavake, Casey Laulala.
UTILITYU BACKS:  Ma'a Nonu, Stephen Donald.
OUTSIDE BACKS:  Joe Rokocoko, Rudi Wulf, Cory Jane.

Now that was harder to select than the All Blacks, perhaps a couple of bolters there in Brett, Reid and Davison, but all three have been doing the work week in and week out for their respective teams.  Davison though might miss out to Crockett, but I think he deserves a crack at a higher level.

Willis gets the nod over Witcombe at hooker, while I'm picking Donald to slip in as a utility back covering second and first five.

The 'test' team from the Juniors.
Davison, Flynn, White, Gibbes, Rawlinson, Kaino, Braid, Lauaki, Leonard, Evans, Wulf, Nonu, Tuitavaki, Rokocoko, Jane.

A few of the above selections I am assuming after the naming of the Maori squad.  I would have thought Gibbes and Holah would be in the Maori squad for the Churchill Cup, Gibbes leading the side.  Not named there i would expoect them to be in the Juniors - Gibbes as captain, as it would be a waste of player to have him in there to make up the numbers, his leadership would be ideal for the Maori side.  I thought Latimer might also get a crack at the Juniors ahead of Holah, in a 'select youth' policy, but no.  Holah might be right off the radar on the New Zealand scene, but I think not...

The Maori All Blacks (genuine)!

PROPS: Craig West, Keith Cameron, Ben May, Hoani Tui.
HOOKERS: Aled de Malmanche, Luke Mahoney.
LOCKS: Kristian Ormsby, Isaac Ross, Hayden Triggs
LOOSIES: Tanerau Latimer, Angus Macdonald, Liam Messam, Warren Smith, Scott Waldrom
HALFBACKS: Brendan Haami, Chris Smylie
FIRST FIVES: Callum Bruce, Tamati Ellison
MIDFIELDERS: Jason Kawau, Dwayne Sweeney, Pehi Te Whare, Rua Tipoki
OUTSIDE BACKS: Hosea Gear, Glen Horton, Shannon Paku, Anthony Tahana

The best combination the Maori can put on the field...?
West, de Malmanche, Cameron, Triggs, Ormsby, MacDonald, Latimer, Messam, Smylie, Bruce, Gear, Tipoki, Kawau, Tahana, Horton.