Pool C/New Zealand team:Lock Keith Robinson will get his first World Cup start for the All Blacks in their final Pool C match against Romania tomorrow after recovering from a calf injury that has kept him out for three weeks.
The 30-year-old Waikato player, who played in the Tri-Nations, will partner former captain Reuben Thorne in the secondrow for the match in Toulouse, while Chris Jack drops to the bench and Ali Williams is rested.
"He's got one more training run before he plays on Saturday, but he looks in great shape," coach Graham Henry said at a news conference at the team base in Aix-en-Provence. "I'm sure he can't wait to get back on the track. It's been a frustration for him, but I'm 99 per cent he'll feel good about this whole thing after Saturday."
Loose forward Jerry Collins will captain the side for the second time at the tournament as skipper Richie McCaw starts on the bench. Collins will be joined by the versatile Chris Masoe and Sione Lauaki in the backrow. There is an all-new frontrow comprising Greg Somerville, hooker Keven Mealamu and the giant Neemia Tialata.
In all there are 11 changes from the team that beat Scotland 40-0 last weekend, but Dan Carter remains at outhalf after a poor goalkicking display in the game at Murrayfield and Andrew Ellis comes in at scrumhalf. Fijian-born wingers Joe Rokocoko and Sitiveni Sivivatu start on the flanks with a new centre combination of Aaron Mauger and Isaia Toeava inside them, while Nick Evans slots in at fullback in place of the injured Leon MacDonald and Mils Muliaina.
With three wins out of three, New Zealand are already assured of a place in the last eight as pool winners. They will meet either France, Argentina or Ireland in a quarter-final in Cardiff on October 6th.
Henry said the team selection was part of the strategy to ensure that all 30 members of the squad remained fresh and in contention for a place ahead of the knockout rounds despite concerns in the New Zealand media that the team may be under-cooked.
"I hear there is a wee bit of anxiety at home because we've had a couple of days off and we didn't play well against Scotland and because we're not playing the top team going into the quarter-finals and 'what the hell is going on with the All Blacks?,'" said the former Wales and Lions coach.
"We have a strategy and our strategy was to make sure the guys were fresh coming into this tournament. I think we've achieved that. We feel we're on track. This has been planned for a long, long time and we feel comfortable with where we're at. I don't know why people are anxious at home, but that's the strategy and so maybe you could express that strategy to our four and a half million friends at home."
Henry added that the focus for the Romania match would be on reducing the error count compared to the Scotland game.
NEW ZEALAND: N Evans; J Rokocoko, I Toeava, A Mauger, S Sivivatu, D Carter, A Ellis, N Tialata, K Mealamu, G Somerville, R Thorne, K Robinson, J Collins (capt), C Masoe, S Lauaki. Replacements: A Hore, T Woodcock, C Jack, R McCaw, B Leonard, L McAlister, C Smith.
ROMANIA: I Dumitras; S Ciuntu, C Gal, R Gontineac, G Brezoianu; I Dimofte, L Sirbu; B Balan, M Tincu, S Florea, S Socol (capt), C Petre, F Corodeanu, A Manta, O Tonita. Replacements: R Mavrodin, P Ion, V Ursache, C Ratiu, V Calafeteanu, F Vlaicu, D Vlad or CR Dascalu.
