All Blacks aiming for repeat performance

With the body clocks now in sync, the All Blacks made the short hop to the latest destination of their rugby Grand Slam attempt, threatening to cause Ireland's players and management some restless nights.
Reinvigorated by the 49-3 thrashing of Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday (NZT), the All Blacks disembarked at Dublin in a relaxed frame of mind, free from new injury complications and judicial dramas.
"It was pleasing to come through with a clean slate," smiled head coach Graham Henry before he and fellow selectors Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen met to discuss the line-up tasked with extending the All Blacks other unbeaten record in the UK and Ireland.
Ominously for Ireland, who shipped 66 points against the All Blacks five months ago in New Plymouth, early indications are they are to be complimented by the selection of a similar combination that routed the Scots, who are also winless after 105 years of rivalry with New Zealand.
Those wholesale alterations that were the norm from week to week when the All Blacks completed the Grand Slam in 2005 - and again 12 months later in France, England and Wales - are officially no longer applicable.
Impressive player depth allowed Henry to introduce "rotation" to New Zealand rugby's lexicon - it has currently been superseded by retention.
Three losses to the Springboks in 2009 Tri-Nations was the catalyst for reverting to the age-old policy of not changing a winning team unless entirely necessary.
"That [2009] was a bit of a lesson," Henry said.
"We needed to build the team. We need to build the rugby game we're playing and you can't build the rugby game if you're going to make 10 changes. It's a matter of getting that balance right. There will be changes, but how many do we make? Do we need to recognise performance by individuals? That's the discussion we will have, it is delicate."
The 22-man squad named on Thursday (NZT) is unlikely to enthuse Irish coach Declan Kidney and veteran centre Brian O'Driscoll as they continue to absorb criticism following an unsatisfactory 20-10 defeat of Samoa at Aviva Stadium last weekend.
If changes are made for Sunday's (NZT) test, they arguably make the All Blacks stronger if Jerome Kaino is recalled to the blindside flank - despite Liam Messam's strong performance at Murrayfield.
Cory Jane, an automatic choice until his ribs were rattled by the Wallabies in Hong Kong on October 30, will also be waiting in the wings - fitness permitting.
The selectors' chief discussion point probably centred on the midfield combination where Ma'a Nonu, Conrad Smith or Sonny Bill Williams will miss out.
Hika Elliot's test debut for the suspended Keven Mealamu may warrant another start or they could expose Andrew Hore to the formative stages.
Richie McCaw and Mils Muliaina also appear poised to break Sean Fitzpatrick's 92-cap record on the ground where the inspirational captain and flanker made his debut in 2001.
Regardless of who is named, Henry expected the side to maintain the high standards belatedly set against the Scots after the Bledisloe loss and a mixed, though successful, performance against England.
"We played with some physicality which was great," he said.
"The body clocks are right. We had two time zone changes from Hong Kong to London, it's not an excuse but you're not a hundred after that. We were just a little off the pace."
That would also be a charitable description for Ireland who suffered four defeats before shading the Samoans, though O'Driscoll was talking positively.
"It's nice to get back to winning ways and remind ourselves of what that feeling is like," he said, adding: "There's no better week to do that than before a test against the All Blacks."
Fullback Luke Fitzgerald was also optimistic, and hoped for fine weather even if it would assist the All Blacks' expansive style.
"Please let it be dry weather against New Zealand," he said.
"You only have to look at our strike runners and playmakers to know that when it clicks ... maybe then you (critics) will get off our backs."
NZPA