What has been noticeable about Ashley-Cooper's play, during the past year, is that he is really a master of the small things. Against Fekitoa, the young Tongan raced up out of the line on one occasion and hit Ashley-Cooper. Hard. Ashley-Cooper absorbed it, held his feet, and still went forward and set up the next phase. (As an aside, in the same game, Michael Hooper showed Fekitoa the outside and he took it – went straight past him – so this is a player of real menace for the Wallabies).

That little show of class from Ashley-Cooper against the Highlanders was an instant reminder of his contribution to the try Israel Folau scored against Wales in Cardiff last December. From a set move, Ashley-Cooper took the full force of George North coming off his wing on Ashley-Cooper's blindside. The big Welshman buried him. But he still recycled the ball. Ashley-Cooper's slicing runs make the highlights packages but it is these details that probably set him apart from Kuridrani at present – just a bit more maturity in his game.

McKenzie's decision in the No.13 jersey may come down to whether he wants what he sees as the best players on the field, even if if means a shift from their franchise positions.

But this is where it got complicated for England coach Stuart Lancaster. After Tuilagi caused the All Blacks' midfield all sorts of grief in the first Test in Auckland, Lancaster went back to the centre partnership that had served him well during the Six Nations – Billy Twelvetrees at No.12 and Luther Burrell at No.13, shifting Tuilagi to No.14. But after the second Test loss he blinked again, throwing out Twelvetrees and Burrell and restoring Tuilagi and Kyle Eastmond, who were promptly torn apart in Hamilton. Until then, Lancaster had given an impression of a coach who was methodically assured in everything he did, but suddenly it looked liked he didn't know what he wanted his team to do.

That is the danger of having options, and of course Test coaches are not afforded the luxury of hindsight. There was a trickle but not a torrent of criticism when Lancaster announced the Tuilagi switch, but the daggers quickly came out when it did not work.