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Selection panel faces tough decisions after stunning performances in July » allblacks.com

The New Zealand team that will compete in the Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship will be announced on Sunday, July 28.

All Blacks coach Scott Robertson said selectors would meet on Wednesday and Thursday to decide on the 36-man squad.

“There will be some great chats from some of the players who have had great performances in the first three Tests.”

The team will meet again in Upper Hutt before their first Test match against Argentina.

Robertson said all 32 players selected for the first three Tests had played, with six debutants performing well against Fiji.

“We are proud of what all the players did last week to ensure that (the starters) had a successful start and all the starters performed their key roles well.

“They were effective off the bench when needed.”

The experienced player said that his finishing strokes could have been better against Fiji and that they needed to work on their starting strokes and finishing strokes in the series.

Fiji were an expected physical opponent but the All Blacks still put in some good performances.

“There was a lot of big contact and high intensity. It makes the selection (for the Rugby Championship) more interesting.”

Among those getting their chances, midfielder Billy Proctor and winger Caleb Clarke performed well both on the ball and in defence for much of the match.

“Billy has a fantastic ability to kick the ball, he’s got great running lines. He’s a quality defender and he sets up his outfield areas brilliantly. So, he’s had a fantastic start.

“Caleb is a real finisher. He knows how to get off the line, he has great aerial skills and he’s getting better defensively every day.”

Robertson, who is taking a break after his first three Tests at the coaching helm, said it had been a busy month. A lot had been achieved and the performances on the field reflected that.

“We’re happy to keep Fiji to five points, not many teams can keep them to a try.”

Another area that needs work is the number of kicks taken against them, although the care shown by the team’s defence was incredible.

“We’ve learned a lot, very quickly, and we can get better. That’s the exciting thing.”

The team was improving. They were aware of the opportunities that were not taken against England in the first Test and they made sure to capitalise on the positives in the second Test to take advantage when they were in the right positions.

Robertson said Damian McKenzie took the number 10 jersey in the first five-eighth, owned the team, demanded and demanded more from others and was a good kicker.

“He can grow up like all of us, but he’s starting to take on this role, and that’s what we asked of him.”

And his combination with fullback Beauden Barrett has worked well too.