Centre/fly-half

Ma’a Nonu and Conrad Smith rank among the world’s great centre pairings but Kyle Eastmond and Manu Tuilagi lost nothing by comparison. With Billy Twelvetrees, Luther Burrell and Brad Barritt now all available, competition for places has never been as intense. Owen Farrell, Twelvetrees and Tuilagi could be reunited as the 10-12-13 axis in Dunedin but the management now know that Eastmond and Freddie Burns both have the necessary big game temperament should midfield injury strike. Danny Cipriani’s successful late pressure kick also impressed his coaches.

No8

Ben Morgan seems to reserve his best for the All Blacks. He was outstanding at Eden Park: making big yardage, picking the right options and was still proving a handful deep into the final quarter. Billy Vunipola might normally expect to slot straight back into the starting XV but the Saracens No8 took a real pounding in his club’s successive losing finals last month. Keeping faith with Morgan and bringing Vunipola off the bench for a rampaging last 20 minutes would seem a positive solution all round.

Flanker

James Haskell did his talking on the field at the weekend, taking the opportunity to remind all and sundry that he remains a Test-quality athlete. England’s back row stood up well against their All Black counterparts and arguably shaded them as a collective unit. Tom Wood, though, has been immense for Northampton recently when it has really mattered and will be desperate for another crack at New Zealand. His lineout ability will also come in handy. But what happens when Tom Croft comes back into the equation? And how about Steffon Armitage …?

Hooker

Poor old Dave Ward. A couple of weeks ago the Harlequins hooker was in line for a Test cap, only for Rob Webber and Joe Gray to prove their fitness in the nick of time. So well did Webber perform on Saturday that the Bath man has a decent chance of retaining his place, having played his part in an excellent set-piece effort by England. Suddenly there is heat on the supposed senior hookers, Dylan Hartley and the absent Tom Youngs. Hartley will come back into the 23 but might not start. It leaves Gray, Ward and Exeter’s Luke Cowan-Dickie competing for the two available midweek places against the Crusaders next week.

Wing

Jonny May divides opinion. Some see a defensive liability who too often runs sideways, others a lethal broken field runner who keeps the best opposition guessing. England, for their part, need wings who score them regular tries. Does Chris Ashton get another chance, having made little impact in Saracens’ losing finals? Or should England go for broke and include Eastmond, Burrell and Tuilagi in the same starting XV, with the latter wearing 11? Tuilagi does not have to sit waiting for the ball and could still thunder down the middle if required. If England go 2-0 down in the series, the third Test might offer a chance to experiment.