Wayne Pivac's selection of Justin Tipuric as his new captain, and the suggestion he is viewed as a nailed-on starter, has implications for Wales' back-row.
The decision to give the returning Tipuric, who has played three games since coming back from a 15-month absence due to a shattered scapula, the captain's armband came a little out of left field. Following an injury to Dan Biggar, many had earmarked the likes of Adam Beard as a front-runner to be the next cab off the rank.
But Pivac suggested the regard in which the flanker is held in the camp, his vast experience and likelihood to be a starter against New Zealand led to his selection.
So what does that mean for the rest of Wales' back-row?
Well, the hope is that Taulupe Faletau will be in full training from next Monday onwards. Assuming his recovery from a calf strain remains on track, it is up for little debate that he will be starting at No. 8 against New Zealand a week Saturday on November 5. As for who will fill the six and seven jerseys, that is intriguing.
This is where Tipuric's versatility has probably aided his cause, with Pivac deeming him an option across the back-row.
"Justin can play in all three back-row positions so we have multiple options with the group that we have got," Pivac said.
Tipuric said of his versatility: "I think it is probably more the way rugby is played now, as in you can't just have one good skill anymore, it's more that you get found out if you have a weakness. You have got to be able to do everything, whether it's lineout, pass, tackle. As a back-rower, you are involved in all that, so you need as many strengths as possible."
So Tipuric will show up on one of the flanks, but who partners him will have an impact on the number on his back.
Let's deal with Tommy Reffell first. He is the incumbent openside flanker, has a huge admirer in Pivac and, by all accounts, is probably the form player heading into the Wales camp this week.
The Wales boss views the Leicester Tiger as an openside and pretty much nothing else. So if he is in the starting line-up against the All Blacks, he will be wearing the No. 7 shirt and it will result in Tipuric shifting over to No. 6. This, along with Faletau's inclusion, appears the most likely back-row to take the field in just over a week's time.
But Jac Morgan has also been playing extremely well so far this season and was a standout performer in the Ospreys' creditable draw against the Stormers two weekends ago.
He operates in the same back-row as Tipuric at regional level, where he fills the No. 6 jersey and Tipuric the No. 7. Expect this to be replicated at Test level if Pivac opts for Morgan.
"In the case of Jac and Tips when they play for their club, they play together, so that's happened before," said Pivac.
So where do the specialist No. 6s fit into all of this? Well, Christ Tshiunza is being groomed as a six who can operate at second row, a role Pivac is keen to fill ahead of next year's World Cup.
He needs minutes at Test level but all signs point to him being a future superstar if he can keep injuries to a minimum. He could well force his way in against the All Blacks, owing to his athleticism which would be perfectly suited to a game against such opposition, but the odds lean towards Reffell on this one. Tshiunza, though, would be a very handy option off the bench.
"I was down in Exeter last week and we have a lot of dialogue with the English coaches who are coaching our players," said Pivac when asked about Tshiunza. "He's making great progress at club level, they've got a great setup there, a great coaching team, and he's learning a lot. You can see that in his game.
"He's a lot more confident than when he first came in here. He's really maturing and developing nicely. He's going to be a big player for the future, definitely."
Elsewhere, why not opt for Dan Lydiate? That's a real horses for courses decision. The immovable blindside is tailor-made for direct, bruising contests against the likes of South Africa, Georgia and Argentina, which is why he thrived in the summer and could well feature in the middle two Tests this autumn.
But his strengths are not geared towards the high-speed, expansive styles implemented by the likes of New Zealand and Australia, which is why we are unlikely to see him in those Tests.
Pivac explained: "For us, it's just looking at the balance, looking at the opposition, which is different to South Africa, obviously. They [New Zealand] play with a lot more speed, there's a lot more ball movement, so the combinations we'll be looking for will be selected based on who we're playing in this particular game."
That Pivac has the luxury of tweaking his back-row to suit different styles of play is something to be celebrated in and of itself, even with the calibre of player left out of the squad entirely in that department.
But the final point is the key one. Pivac will make his selection not necessarily based on who appears to be the form players on paper, but on what tools will be required for different kinds of jobs.
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