Scott Robertson's disappointing Ruben Love decision

I have to express some disappointment about Ruben Love not getting a run at first five-eighth, for the All Blacks on Saturday.

As expected, coach Scott Robertson has rung the changes for the final match in this three-test series against France.

That includes Love, the versatile Hurricanes playmaker, being named to play at fullback.

Rassie Erasmus on the challenges he expects from Georgia

Rassie Erasmus on the challenges he expects from Georgia

I was rather taken by Love’s Super Rugby Pacific performances at 10 this season and am actually very curious to see if he’s a viable back up to Beauden Barrett.

Fixture

Internationals

New Zealand

29 - 19

Full-time

France

All Stats and Data

Instead, Damian McKenzie, who’s been there and done that plenty of times, will guide the All Blacks around FMG Stadium from first-five.

I hesitate to describe McKenzie’s selection as pointless, but it certainly robs Robertson and the rest of us an opportunity to find out something we don’t know.

McKenzie has his admirers and continues to set Super Rugby alight season after season. But he has lost the All Blacks’ No.10 jersey to Barrett for a reason and I don’t see what there is to be gained from giving him another game there on Saturday.

Provided Barrett’s fit, McKenzie’s biggest ongoing contribution to this team appears likely to come from fullback.

Barrett (hand injury) was listed among those players unavailable for selection in this match, but there’s every indication that his recent performances have put any discussion about who is New Zealand’s best first-five to bed.

Anyway, here we are, with the All Blacks having a pretty simple hurdle to clear, before they embark upon sterner tests against the likes of Argentina and South Africa.

Elsewhere, there’s a real Chiefs feel to the starting XV, with Anton Lienert-Brown and Quinn Tupaea selected in midfield, Cortez Ratima at halfback, Luke Jacobson No.8, Samipeni Finau blindside flanker and Samisoni Taukei’aho the hooker.

I feel an opportunity’s been missed at centre, too. We all know what Lienert-Brown can do, but we’re still working out whether Billy Proctor is a legitimate option.

Yes, Lienert-Brown’s been out with injury and, yes, it’s good to see him back in the team. There’s few All Blacks more dependable and industrious than him.

But, again, we’re learning nothing from his inclusion.

In the pack, I’d have been tempted to give Naitoa Ah Kuoi a game at lock. Not to be frivolous with caps, but because we have found out about Fabian Holland.

Across two starts in this series, Holland has shown that he’s every bit the player people hoped he might be. Yes, this team is light on locks at the moment and that has potentially played a part in Holland having to back up again.

It’s just that, unlike someone such as Proctor for instance, everyone can see Holland is up to test rugby and that it wouldn’t hurt to take him out of the firing line this week.

Overall, it’s an adequate team for what shouldn’t be a particularly testing assignment against France. It’s nice to see Tyrel Lomax fit enough to play at tighthead prop, similarly Sevu Reece on the right wing.

The outcome of this match doesn’t really matter, which is another reason why I think there would have been a lot to gain – but nothing to lose – in picking Love at 10.

Maybe Robertson just wanted to keep the Hamilton crowd happy.