KEY POINTS:
It may not have looked much like it but Friday night's 30-6 loss to Australia was the completion of Stage One of rebuilding the Kiwis.
Stage Two will be incorporating the UK-based players in the 'All Golds' tour at the end of the year. Stage Three is the winning of the World Cup in October 2008.
Kiwis coach Brian McClennan, even as he renewed calls for a stand-down from the NRL so his team will have more time to prepare for such tests, maintains the real goal is that third stage, 18 months away.
Although Friday was another blow to the Kiwis' reputation - their record in Anzac tests is now a dismal seven losses and one win - McClennan maintains he can see some "light at the end of the tunnel", as the Kiwis rebuild after losing senior players.
McClennan is encouraged by the talent, particularly in pivotal positions.
"It wasn't that long ago, even a year ago, that I couldn't see any light. Now there is some. It's a matter of giving these players some time. I believe this is going to be good for the Kiwis. Stage one is complete."
Even so, the Kiwis were outplayed, out-thought, out-muscled and out-scored. Although the Kiwis boss said the side was picked with one eye on the World Cup, make no mistake, it was at full strength.
Taking the UK players out of the equation, which is what the selectors did, there weren't any others who could be considered unlucky.
With an average age of just 22.6 years and only four players who had appeared in at least 10 tests, it was unrealistic to expect the Kiwis to topple Australia - even the misfiring Australia we saw on Friday night. New Zealand were badly exposed and lacked cohesion and creativity on attack.
McClennan has promised these will come and he has shown he can muster a competitive side during a test campaign.
The Kiwis have often talked about international dominance in the short-to-medium term. As yet, this is unfounded, but the key to turning this around is getting more New Zealanders playing in the NRL.
If the World Cup squad were chosen today, McClennan would have roughly 60 players to choose from, about 35 in the NRL and 25 in the UK Super League. That means players have about a one-in-three chance of selection, improving to about 50 per cent for Anzac tests because of the general unavailability of UK players.
The numbers of young players pouring across the Tasman, however, are quite staggering.
Auckland Rugby League chairman Cameron McGregor said they had processed up to 80 international transfers for NRL or feeder clubs in the two months until the end of February. There were as many as 25 in one two-week period.
While not all will play first grade, even if only 10 per cent did New Zealand's playing strength was enhanced.
The real areas of concern are the positions New Zealand has traditionally struggled to fill - fullback, hooker and in the halves. Hooker Nathan Fien will have qualified to play for the Kiwis in October and will be a useful addition and Krisnan Inu is a player of exciting potential.
Ben Roberts has an impressive long kicking game, something absent in the Stacey Jones era, but still has some way to go before he is considered a high-quality international halfback. At least there are other options, the likes of Souths halfback Jeremy Smith and Lance Hohaia.
Certainties for the World Cup squad, barring injury, are Sonny Bill Williams, Benji Marshall and Roy Asotasi. Others central to the Kiwi effort include Brent Webb, David Kidwell, Simon Mannering, Manu Vatuvei, Frank Pritchard, Nathan Cayless, David Fa'alogo and Iosia Soliola.
And so Stage Two. If the Kiwis are to claim their first World Cup, they need depth in all positions and Inu has emerged as a more-than-useful backup to Webb.
He will, no doubt, go on the All Golds tour, a perfect opportunity to blood young players.
At this stage, there are likely to be seven tests (including the All Golds match against the Northern Unions) for McClennan to fine-tune his plans before the Kiwis take on Australia in the opening game of the World Cup.
Australia will have only two, both against New Zealand.
"It's good for us but Australia wouldn't need that many because they've got their [World Cup] squad already," McClennan said. "That squad on Friday night will go close to being the one that plays at the World Cup. They are a talented bunch."
One of the best things from Friday's test was that McClennan didn't play individuals out of position.
Rugby fans have acknowledged that Graham Henry's masterplan has, to date, been an unqualified success. Rugby league fans will hope McClennan's bears similar fruit.
Testing Times
The Kiwis' test schedule leading up to 2008 World Cup:
* October 13 vs Australia, Wellington
* October 21 vs Northern Union(All Golds celebration)
* October 27 vs Great Britain, Huddersfield
* November 3 vs Great Britain, Hull
* November 10 vs Great Britain, Wigan
* November 17 vs France, Paris
* May 9, 2008 vs Australia, Sydney**
* October 25 vs Australia, Sydney (opening game of World Cup)
**To be confirmed
