Bazeley’s squad feels like a manager trusting the players who know the job. Keeping Cacace after an injury-hit club season and sticking with de Vries despite his calf issue points to a clear theme: stability matters, especially in the full-back areas.
That decision also says plenty about how Bazeley wants this team to look in tournament football.
It is not a reckless gamble, but it is a firm one.
The return of Tommy Smith gives the squad another layer of know-how. A player with past World Cup experience can steady a back line, especially when matches tighten and margins shrink.
Alongside names such as Michael Boxall, Tyler Bindon, Nando Pijnaker and Finn Surman, Smith gives Bazeley a useful blend of leadership and options at centre-back. In knockout-style football, that depth can matter as much as star quality.
If the squad is mostly about trust, Bayliss is the reminder that form and momentum still have a route in. His inclusion adds energy to a midfield group that already contains technical quality and experience.
Bazeley admitted the selection process was painful. “The last week has been challenging, a lot of difficult conversations,” he said, before adding: “Having to speak to players and let them down... has been really challenging.”
That is usually the mark of a healthy squad: hard calls, real competition and genuine alternatives. Now the focus shifts to 11 June, when talk gives way to performance and New Zealand discover whether continuity really can carry them deep into the tournament.