They've still to take their pick of the Maoris when they've finished softening up the Lions on Saturday, and there was also a sense that the All Blacks were keeping some of their powder dry when announcing their hand for Friday's seasonal opener against Fiji.
At any rate, no less than Clive Woodward, Graham Henry isn't inclined to unveil his complete hand just yet.
It would be hard to imagine the All Blacks selecting three new caps if it was the Lions they were playing this weekend.
Auckland Blues hooker Darren Witcombe and the promising James Ryan at lock will start, as well as the latest Fijian-born try plunderer on the wing, Sitiveni Sivivatu, who makes his All Blacks bow "against his brothers" as Wayne Smith put it.
One of the first selections to be sought out was at scrumhalf, where for the moment anyway, the All Blacks management have chosen Byron Kelleher, with the outspoken media cause celebre Justin Marshall consigned to the bench.
Asked if this signalled that Kelleher was ahead in the pecking order, Henry somewhat eluded the question when describing it as a horses for courses selection.
"We have got a number of players we want to have a look at, and there's three new caps there. We're trying to get people used to international rugby. Byron Kelleher has come off a top game in his last international against France, he's been playing top football with the Chiefs and he deserves that recognition at this point in time."
Apart from Anton Oliver, who is in a race against time to make the first test after his torn calf and the Maori contingent, the only other player ruled out was Ma'a Nonu. His mixture of strength in contact, strong hand-offs, ability to change direction off either foot and acceleration must make him the most effective impact replacement in the global game, but he's nursing a shoulder injury.
Sivivatu, the Crusaders' free-scoring Rico Gear (who's with the Maoris), Joe Rokocoko, and Nonu have all combined to put the incumbent Doug Howlett "under pressure", Henry freely admitted. "But Doug responds well to pressure."
Henry, viewed by much of the travelling media for the first time since his Lions and Welsh days, looked much more at ease and in command of his environs in his native land.
Unlike Lions briefings, there was no prepared introductory script (though there was a heartfelt expression of sympathy for Lawrence Dallaglio), there was only one media guru on hand instead of four, there was no cutting the conference short until everybody had been exhaustively invited to ask questions, and Henry himself was at his most laconically humorous.
Having intimated that he would try Mils Muliaina at outside centre, he then admitted that the selection of Aaron Mauger and Tana Umaga was "a strong indication" that this more established partnership was the favoured one at present.
When then asked about the Umaga-Muliaina option, Henry said "well, that's another strong likelihood as well," intimating that it, along with other combinations, would be tried at some juncture on Friday.
No less than Woodward, Henry is patently enthralled by the prospect of another Lions-All Blacks series.
He recalled and rambled at length about previous Lions tours to New Zealand back to 1959. "I don't know why I'm going on about this exactly, perhaps because I'm enjoying myself."
The forthcoming series was, he said, in sheer scale quite simply the biggest rugby event to ever hit New Zealand.
Which makes it the biggest sporting event to ever hit the land of the long white cloud.
ALL BLACKS (v Fiji, at North Harbour Stadium, Albany, Friday): Mils Muliaina; Doug Howlett, Tana Umaga (capt), Aaron Mauger, Sitiveni Sivivatu; Dan Carter, Byron Kelleher; Tony Woodcock, Darren Witcombe, Greg Somerville, James Ryan, Ali Williams, Jerry Collins, Richie McCaw, Rodney So'oialo. Replacements: Keven Mealamu, Campbell Johnstone, Chris Jack, Mose Tuiali'i, Justin Marshall, Conrad Smith, Sosene Anesi.
