It's been an interesting week for rugby in New Zealand with the debate over whether Jamie Joseph was right to leave the returning All Blacks out of his Wellington team for this weekend's clash against Bay of Plenty.

The thing is every coach has his own reasons for choosing the All Blacks, or not choosing them as Jamie did. And I can see where he's coming from, having been a coach and done it as well.

I think he's trying to get his team into a rhythym and for players to come in and play one game and then disappear will upset that and all for the sake of some guys carrying on with their All Black campaign. It doesn't make sense at times.

Every coach is going to utilise his All Blacks the way he feels it benefits the team the most and Jamie sees something different to other coaches around the country.

North Harbour are going to start Luke McAlister at number 10 - which is fine - but they have a young fella, Mike Harris, who is playing very well at this stage of the season.

I just wonder whether something like this could be a confidence rocker for the young boy. Out of the 37 points Harbour have scored this year, Mike has scored 32 of them.

So you're standing down a young guy who's on form and wants to get his career going for the sake of giving an All Black a run - and not even in his favoured position.

Soemtimes the All Blacks utilise the NPC solely for their own reasons - and that's just to give guys matchplay. They don't care whether they win or lose so long as they get out on the paddock.

Back in the old amateur days we did it all the time - the players just came back and slipped into club rugby. But even in the club rugby of the day they found it really hard to get back into the game straight away because you only end up with one or two trainings.

That leads to you playing and making more mistakes because you didn't know all the moves and all the lineouts.

But I can see the alternate view as well.

The coaches who have picked the All Blacks want the experience on the football field because every game is important for them.

Jamie, I think, feels the continuity of having the players play week-in, week-out is probably more important than having his All Blacks back.

And I definitely don't agree with the interference the NZRU and the All Blacks coaches are trying to have on NPC team selection.

Big Brother is coming in and saying 'We're going to do the utmost to get our players playing' and I think Graham Henry shouldn't push it.

He should let the decisions be made and sit with the individual coaches and if they use them they use them.

If it's to the detriment of the All Blacks coaching staff then so be it!

And it's not like some of the All Blacks even need to be playing. Just because you lose two Test matches doesn't mean you've lost form.

Ma'an Nonu is playing bloody well, Conrad Smith is playing really well. There are a handful of guys in the All Blacks who are playing very good football but as a team they're not gelling together.

And playing for their NPC teams isn't going to improve the All Blacks' performance. That has got to come from themselves as a team, not by sending back guys to play in a domestic series. One game isn't going to find a guy form.

I also think it's good for a young fella like Cory Jane to show he's "pissed-off" with not being picked.

He's showing he's brassed off because he wants to play football. He's been sat on the bench for the last copule of Tests and he's been champing at the bit to get a bloody run but he's not getting it. He's probably just saying 'shit, I want to get back to NPC and really have a crack at it'.

THere are guys like Cory who want to get back into it and play some rugby because they aren't intent on sitting on the bench for the rest of their careers.

But Jamie's making a statement by giving the kids who have come through the first two games an oppportunity to show their wares and that's fair enough.

These guys are already at the All Blacks level and missing games is just the price you pay for being an All Black.

You take all the kudos when you're there and playing but when you get stood down or you get injured then everything changes.

You just have to rock and roll with the choices the coach has made because at the end of the day he's picked what he believes is the best team for the game on that day.

If you're the filling between two slices of bread and you don't get used then tough titty!

As for whether Dan Carter should be picked for the Australian Test? Well, I'm a big believer in picking your best team and Dan is ultimately the best pivot we have.

He's come back from an injury, slid into the NPC and played two games now but it hasn't really upset the Canterbury apple cart.

They've got young Stephen Brett and some other youngsters who are ready to step into the breach and they've been there all season.

Carter's had the nod for the first three games and so be it. Brett will get his chance when Dan steps down and heads off with the All Blacks.

So Dan is very lucky he's come back at the start of the season. He's playing some good sound football, he's kicking his goals and the All Blacks coaches want him up top again. Good luck to him.

And while Dan is probably ready to step back into black, it's a tough call on Stephen Donald.

He might not even make the bench for the Aussie test in Syndey - because you don't often carry a specialist first five-eighth on the bench. Although Donald can play 12 as well, Luke's run at pivot for North Harbour may be an indication that he will get the bench spot.

And if that happens, Stephen has to go back to Waikato and try and get some form back and be ready to push for selection again.

So what do you think? Is Jamie Joseph right to stand his ground? Are you disappointed Cory Jane spoke out? And should Carter start for the All Blacks?

I appreciate all your comments.