The Kiwis have beaten Australia only twice in the past five years under coach Stephen Kearney, which is a poor return, but also means they are due. If you look at the sequence of the last three wins - 2005, 2008, 2010 - surely it's time again.
There are more tangible reasons to be optimistic. They might be up against a terrific Australian side but the Kiwis have assembled arguably the best squad so far, have the best player on the planet and have put together a faultless campaign off the field.
They also have a forward pack capable of dominating Australia, a pair of halves growing in stature and some exciting outside backs.
They aren't the complete side - Kevin Locke and Bryson Goodwin still make you nervous, some of the big boys have the potential to give away cheap penalties or commit silly errors which invite trouble and Shaun Johnson can be vulnerable on defence - but they are considerably better than ones of not-too-distant times and will really test Australia tomorrow.
They did it in the first half of this year's Anzac test when, if a couple of video referee decisions had gone their way, they could have been leading by 12 points at the break. And that was without the considerable talents of the likes of Sonny Bill Williams, Simon Mannering, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Manu Vatuvei, Sam Kasiano and Frank-Paul Nu'uausala.
