D'arcy And Goran

On the face of it, the dropping of Owen Franks, Ben Smith and Rieko Ioane before the most important Bledisloe Cup test in four years must qualify as one of the most dramatic reactions to a loss ever made by All Blacks coach Steve Hansen.And yes, they have been dropped. Hansen was happy to confirm that in front of a packed press conference at the All Blacks hotel today, perhaps to reinforce a message to all of his players that no one is safe only five weeks from the start of the World Cup.The performances of tighthead prop Franks and outside backs Smith and Ioane have not been of an acceptable standard, and Hansen and his fellow selectors couldn't keep rewarding mediocrity.And yet, for all the "panic" headlines dreamed up by media outlets across the ditch reveling in the All Blacks feeling a little discomfort for a change, there is every chance the experienced trio would have sat out this test at Eden Park on Saturday even had Hansen's men won at Perth last weekend rather than slipping to a 47-26 defeat.Hansen