All Blacks: The Magician

Dan Carter of the All Blacks passes the ball during a New Zealand All Blacks training session. Photo / Getty Images

Just for a moment, Dan Carter, the perfectionist, sounded flawed.

"If we score four tries, we win the game and I miss my kicks I'll be happy," he said in response to a question as to how important the world test point-scoring record is to him ahead of tomorrow's Grand Slam decider against Wales.

Stunned silence.

"Not really, I'll probably be pissed off actually. That's too many misses."

Carter, who trained for the first time on Thursday after an ankle niggle, is not in the habit of missing much against Wales. He has scored 150 points in eight games against Wales, nearly 19 points a game and more than four points higher than his average against all other countries.

They're sick of the sight of him in the valleys, though he can expect some measure of acclaim from the crowd when he passes the record points haul made by Englishman Jonny Wilkinson.

It's something he admits will be playing on his mind when he lines up his first shot at goal.

"But it's all about putting the team first and doing my job to better the team. The Grand Slam is far more important than any record that I could be achieving. It's been a big goal of ours and it would mean a lot to this team," Carter said.

"I'm not big on records but this one is something pretty special. If I'm able to get those three points and get that record, it'll be something I'm very proud of."

Carter, 28, reiterated the theme of the week that the All Blacks want to finish a long, successful season with a statement. In fact, listening to all the pre-game sentiments from both camps, this game could have more statements than an ATM.

The All Blacks want a Grand Slam and a grand performance - "I'd like to see them smash the Welsh, really," said Graham Henry - while Wales want to recover what faith the public has lost in them in the past week.

That need for redemption can be a powerful tool and it's something Carter, Henry and the rest of the All Blacks are acutely aware of.

"The Welsh will play exceptionally well in this game," Henry said. "What has happened in the past will be hugely motivational for them. I expect it will be an exceptionally difficult game.

"They'll be disappointed with the way they played against Fiji last week but that's part of the Welsh psyche: when they're expected to win and win well, they don't."

A better indication of Wales' potential was the fact they should have beaten South Africa two weeks ago, but a 10-minute loss of concentration in the second half doomed them to a 25-29 loss.

New Zealand-born coach Warren Gatland has been under immense pressure this week in the aftermath of the clumsy Ryan Jones sacking. Yesterday he was at pains to say the decision was not a kneejerk one, that they had decided a week ago Matthew Rees was going to be their captain and that Jones, surprisingly selected to start at No 8 tomorrow, was not a scapegoat for the 16-16 debacle against Fiji.

"Whether that timing was right or not, I wanted to make that announcement after the disappointment of Friday night to give Matthew Rees the opportunity to take control from a leadership point of view, to bring the team together for this week," Gatland said.

"Whenever that announcement was made, it was always going to create a media furore.

"I can understand how people would assume it was a reaction from the disappointment of the performance, and that he was made a scapegoat. It definitely wasn't the case."

Gatland said he had no problem with the criticism being levelled at him or the team from a media and public whose expectations always seem to outweigh Wales' ability.

"A certain part of this job is taking the criticism and how you respond to it," he said.

Wales' best chance might be the fact that the All Blacks are tired.

This will be the visitors' 14th test so far this year, a number even they would acknowledge is probably two too many.

But if they have to reach deep into the emotional bank to make up for a lack of energy, they need only to recognise the events on the West Coast this past week.

"There's obviously some pretty tough times back home with the miners and we want to do something pretty special for those people, their friends and family," said Carter.

Three things the All Blacks want to see

1. An 80-minute performance. It goes without saying really, but it was Marseilles that provided the spur for the All Blacks' uplift in form from 2009 to 2010 and another performance like that demolition of France would make the champagne and brandy snaps over Christmas taste that much sweeter. Even against Scotland, their most complete performance of the tour, there were times the All Blacks appeared on cruise control.

2. A dominating scrum. The tight forwards have struggled to wrap their heads around some of the refereeing interpretations of the scrum and while they have worked hard to adjust their techniques, they have yet to put in a dominating performance. They then had the ignominy of hearing Robbie Deans say they didn't scrum, just "manipulate" refs. Motivation for a few big shoves should not be in short supply.

3. A strong collective performance from the bench players in the final 20 minutes. There have been one or two good performances from the pine, most notably Isaia Toeava and Andy Ellis at Twickenham and Sam Whitelock in Dublin, but more often than not the impact has been either minimal or, in the case of Hong Kong, damaging.

dylan.cleaver@nzherald.co.nz