AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- Warren Gatland may have taken out the award for multiple selection day shocks, but All Blacks coach Steve Hansen pulled his own swiftie with the shock promotion of Rieko Ioane.
All Blacks skipper Kieran Read was always going to return, and Ryan Crotty was a similarly assured selection given his amazing consistency at the top level, but the decision to pick Ioane ahead of the steamroller that is Julian Savea came from left field.
For Hansen, it is surely a nod to what he expects will be a barrage of high balls from British & Irish Lions halves Conor Murray and Owen Farrell in the first Test at Eden Park. Savea has had his struggles in the air throughout his career, and they are obviously significant enough for Hansen to risk a two-Test rookie.
Then there is also Ioane's scintillating Super Rugby form with the Blues this season -- he has scored nine tries - and the Lions got a first-hand look at his talents when they went down 19-13 to the Auckland franchise on their second match on tour. Ioane's speed and power will be a real handful for his opposite number, Anthony Watson.
If Ioane suffers a case of the fumbles, or feels the nerves of one of rugby's biggest occasions, then he could have few better men inside him than Crotty. Injured in the South Island Super Rugby derby just hours before the Lions kicked off their first tour match, Crotty has overcome the rib cartilage problem to replace Anton Lienert-Brown.
It is a tough call on Lienert-Brown, who showed his class against Samoa last week having made an impressive entry into Test rugby during last year's Rugby Championship. But Hansen has gone for experience. The Crusaders midfielder for so long had to bide his time behind Ma'a Nonu, Conrad Smith and Sonny Bill Williams, and he was easily one of the hard-luck stories of the All Blacks' 2015 Rugby World Cup squad. This Lions series will feel like a World Cup for Crotty, and there can be no qualms about his switch to outside centre, as adaptability has been one of the hallmarks of his career. He also has the experience to handle the Lions' rush defence.
Israel Dagg, like Crotty, missed out on successive Rugby World Cup wins.
The Crusaders veteran was overlooked for the tournament in England, a decision that was further compounded when he suffered a shoulder injury in the Mitre 10 Cup. He has battled injury again this season but much of his playing time for the Crusaders in 2017 has been on the right wing, and his ability under the high ball, along with superstar fullback Ben Smith, should certainly help to settle Ioane.
Up front, the intrigue comes in the front-row where Owen Franks, Codie Taylor and Joe Moody have a shot at redemption after they were out-scrummed and outwitted by their Lions opposites a fortnight ago, when they were repeatedly penalised by Frenchman Mathieu Raynal. South African referee Jaco Peyper will be a far more familiar voice on Saturday, but a failure to adapt to the interpretations once more could have catastrophic consequences.
Both Gatland and Hansen called a bluff in their selections on Thursday. Both men hope it proves to be the trump card come at Eden Park on Saturday night.