Mitchell turns the tour into a grey area

Autumn internationals: Leading All Blacks rest at home as Twickenham's full house see a World Cup sideshow

When is an All Black not an All Black? When he decides to stay at home for a bit of R and R rather than face England at Twickenham in a one-off autumn Test, the purpose of which, apart from making the Rugby Football Union £10m, is not entirely clear.

This time last year John Mitchell, the New Zealand coach, was suggesting that his country's diversion to England, France and Wales was a waste of time. "It should be binned,'' he said, "and I'll certainly be pushing for that. If we are to have any chance of winning the World Cup in 2003 it is absolutely essential that our élite players have three months rest before getting into their preparation. If I'm not explicit about this people won't listen to me.''

He was and they didn't, but Mitchell still had the last word, selecting a 26-strong squad that is not so much All Black as various shades of grey. There are 10 new faces, 12 uncapped players; the entire senior pack is missing, including the captain Reuben Thorne, but Jonah Lomu has been picked, less on form more on box office appeal. Taine Randell, who led New Zealand in the last World Cup and became a casualty of the semi-final rout by France at Twickenham, takes over the captaincy.

Having arrived at his base at Richmond, yesterday – the All Blacks' old Surrey haunt of Pennyhill Park has since been commandeered by England – Mitchell, of course, has changed his tune. "With the ultimate vision a year away these three Tests are fantastic games for people to play,'' he said.

Not half as fantastic as the other games people play. When Mitchell was Clive Woodward's England assistant, he helped coach a motley collection of wannabes, ne'er-do-wells and Canterbury fodder on the tour of hell in 1998. England, therefore, are in no position to question the arrival of the baby Blacks.

While New Zealand have left their top scrum-halves Justin Marshall and Byron Kelleher at home (and one of those who is here, Steve Devine, is under an eligibility cloud), England have discarded Kyran Bracken. It looks like a two-horse race between Andy Gomarsall and Matt Dawson, although in training behind the oaks and chestnuts at Bagshot Austin Healey has been working as a scrum-half.

If a place has to be found for Healey, who has been playing stand-off for Leicester where he named his position and his price, it may be wrong to assume it is on the wing. "How do you know Austin wouldn't be a good scrum-half?'' asked Woodward, who has four wings at his disposal in Ben Cohen, Phil Christophers, Marcel Garvey and James Simpson-Daniel. Another two, Dan Luger and Iain Balshaw, are waiting in the wings.

Whereas England even have a wing at full-back in Jason Robinson, Wales, who laboured to beat Romania at Wrexham on Friday night, now play with no wings at all. Steve Hansen, their coach, describes the back three, two of whom, Mark Jones and Gareth Thomas scored tries in the uninspired 40-3 victory at the Racecourse Ground, as left full-back, right full-back and centre full-back. First, though, Hanson has to find a pair of half- backs.

Wales, who have appointed David Moffett, the former chief executive of the NZ RFU and Sport England as their first chief executive officer, have tougher engagements this month against Canada, Fiji and New Zealand.

While Neil Jenkins was making his first international start for 18 months, David Hilton returned to the Scotland squad for the first time in 31 months. Hilton, the son of a Bristol butcher, won 41 caps for Scotland between 1995 and 2000 before falling victim to Grandadgate. His Scottish ancestry was based on his grand-father being born in Edinburgh, a claim as factual as Glenbogle. The 32-year-old Glasgow prop now qualifies on residential grounds, having completed a three-year term imposed by the International Board.

''There is no sentiment about this,'' Ian McGeechan, the Scotland coach, said. "David's technique as a loose-head is exemplary and he can scrum on both sides. He has done that at international level and that sort of experience is invaluable.''

For the first time the Scots, who face Romania at Murrayfield on Saturday and then South Africa and Fiji, are beginning to play a bit in the Heineken Cup and Celtic League, reinforced by the creation of a third professional team, The Borders. It hasn't stopped them raiding two backs from south of the border, Ben Hinshelwood from Worcester and Andy Craig from Orrell.

Keith Wood, the Harlequins and Lions hooker who has not played since Ireland's World Cup qualifying victory over Russia in Siberia more than a month ago, was expected to captain his country against the world champions Australia at Lansdowne Road next Saturday. However, Wood has a neck injury, an occupational hazard, though identifying a neck between his redoubtable head and considerable shoulders is no easy task.

His withdrawal is a bigger blow than the potential loss of Denis Hickie. Geordan Murphy, of Leicester, gets a belated call-up. The Irish need to settle on their best stand-off, Ronan O'Gara or David Humphreys. Nor can they make their minds up about Victor Costello, the Leinster No. 8 who had been recalled more times than a North Korean dishwasher.

Of the touring teams, the Wallabies are not a shadow of their former selves although they are without the full-back Chris Latham, who injured himself playing with Latham Jnr at home. It is an experience that possibly awaits George Gregan, Australia's captain and father-to-be. One to watch in the green and gold is the ex-League star Wendell Sailor.

South Africa have included eight uncapped players in their 26 and have lost their answer to Martin Johnson, the Blue Bulls lock Victor Matfield. He has an ankle injury that did not prevent him from playing in the Currie Cup final. "We could have taken him along but we would have had to nurse him through the tour,'' Rudi Straeuli, the Springboks coach, said.

France, who play South Africa at Stade de France next Saturday, have omitted the Gloucester hooker Olivier Azam, despite the fact he is in top form, and the talented Toulouse back Frederic Michalak. Dimitri Yachvili, the Biarritz scrum-half, is a new face in the squad but he will not be reunited with his one-time Gloucester partner Ludovic Mercier. Mercier has been linked with Montferrand, whose stand-off Gerald Merceron is the choice of the Tricolores.

Until the introduction of an international calendar that allows all countries to play at strength, Britain's autumn programme will always be a leaf or two short of the full landscape. Yet if Twickenham doubled capacity to 150,000 they would still fill it.