So the doom sayers are all poking on about rotation being back.  Well, get used to it fellas, and embrace it.  The reason we are winning this season is because of rotation.

Yes,  because of rotation we have a front row that is experienced enough to front up to any test pack in the world.  If Tialata and Hore had been sitting behind Oliver, Mealamu, Woodcock and Hayman over the last three years, not getting any game time, we would not have had blokes with 20+ tests worth of experience just slotting straight into the mix and doing the work.

The same with the midfield.  Losing Mauger and McAlister from the 12 shirt, not one, but two class players would have devastated the All Black sides of the past.  But in steps Nonu, again, 20 tests worth of experience, and bingo, all is good.

This is all thanks to rotation.

On the other hand I agree with many of the more reasonable and slightly more far sighted rugby thinkers that rotation should perhaps be stopping a season out from the RWC, or at the very least in a RWC year.  Carrying it on through the RWC seems a touch extreme, as once you are there, at the big day, there is no more building to do, you are now using your damn weapon!!

The latest pieces of rotation though are not rotation for rotations sake as many of the past selections seemed to be.

All the selections are more of a case of blooding a player now, getting rid of their first test jitters now, getting them used to a test match now, against a lesser opponent (sorry England, but on that first test performance, you are lesser).  A much better idea than throwing them into a cauldron against the Steroid Brutes in Beorland or the Shackle Dragger in front of a packed stadium in Sydney for their debut tests.

The rotations then - the the experience gathering exercises, the blooding of the new boys, call it what you will

Kahui comes in for Smith.  This is more about blooding Kahui than anything else, and giving him a chance to run with Nonu at 12, a player he has never played with before.  Kahui and Nonu having one game under their belts together should they need to be paired up come the 3N makes me a much happier man than if they were coming together cold.

Adam Thomson hitting the paddock instead of Kaino is another testing combinations.  I think the Cartel are quite enamored with Thomson.  He does special things on the field, is damn fast, a genuine line out target, and if he can take the step up to test level, all of a sudden we have four loose forwards ready to do the job, and in any mix.  Kaino is playing well, and the So'oilao, McCaw and Kaino trio looks to be the way to go at the moment, but this trio they are fielding on the weekend might be better - only one way to check.

Wulf and Tuitavake swapping, again, like the Thomson selection, how the hell will the Cartel know how good this guy is if they never play him?  It is not as if they are swapping him with a 90 test veteran.  It is the other new boy on the block, who has had one average test, and a better effort in his second, but to be honest, has not set the world on fire as yet in his two games.  How long has it been since an All Black wing has not scored a try inside his first two matches?

MacDonald and Muliaina swapping at fullback.  Not rotation, lets just say that Mils was dropped.  Or is that to un PC in this day and age?  Or would that not fit in with the 'God no, not rotation again' brigade?  Or perhaps we need a fullback this week with a kicking game, which Panadol possess, and Mils does not?

And as a final aside, why are the Chiefs so useless.  They make up almost a quarter of this test squad, and would if Leonard was not injured!

All Blacks:  Leon MacDonald, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Richard Kahui, Ma'a Nonu, Rudi Wulf, Dan Carter, Andy Ellis, Rodney So'oialo, Richie McCaw, Adam Thomson, Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Neemia Tialata.  Reserves:  Kevin Mealamu, Tony Woodcock, Anthony Boric, Sione Lauaki, Jimmy Cowan, Stephen Donald, Mils Muliaina.

England:  England: Mathew Tait, Topsy Ojo, Mike Tindall, Jamie Noon, Tom Varndell, Toby Flood, Danny Care, Luke Narraway, Tom Rees, James Haskell, Steve Borthwick (captain), Tom Palmer, Matt Stevens, Lee Mears, Tim Payne.  Reserves: David Paice, Jason Hobson, Ben Kay, Joe Worsley, Pete Richards, Olly Barkley, David Strettle.