Jonah Lomu has been left out of the All Blacks team for Saturday's Tri-Nations game against Australia in Melbourne, but he could be brought on at some stage.

In the second Test against England last month New Zealand coach John Hart used three talented substitutes to brilliantly turn the flagging All Blacks. One of them, the exciting former Fiji international Joeli Vidiri got a try on his debut and will replace Lomu on the wing.

Hart said after naming the team he expected Lomu to come off the bench and make an impact against the Australians.

"It is an important decision to leave out Jonah but we've very

pleased with Joeli in what we saw of him when he came on for Bay of Plenty against Northland midweek.

Jonah had a very poor game (against England) by his own admission and I think if he was to come off the bench he would be very effective."

Hart said if Lomu were to be picked on the bench there would be a chance of back-up for both the loose forwards as well as the backs.

Meanwhile, Pat Lam, Newcastle's Western Samoan back-row forward, is to join Northampton for a six-figure sum. The 1997/98 Allied Dunbar Player of the Year still has a year of his three-year contract with the Premiership champions remaining and had been seeking an extension to it as well as better terms.

New Zealand: C Cullen; J Wilson, S McLeod, W Little (or C Spencer), J Vidiri; A Mehrtens, J Marshall; C Dowd, A Oliver, O Brown, I Jones, R Brooke, M Jones, J Kronfeld, T Randell (capt).