KEY POINTS:
Kiwis coach Gary Kemble and captain Roy Asotasi are talking down any suggestion their game plan for Sunday's test against Australia will revolve around aggression.
The Kangaroos have picked a side full of players labelled with the "enforcer" tag, something not lost on the Kiwis camp.
Mention Michael
Crocker, whose shoulder charge put Manly fullback Brett Stewart out of the NRL grand final, and his teammates Ryan Hoffman and Dallas Johnson, who are known for big defence, and Kiwis captain Asotasi throws in "and Greg Bird and Willie Mason too".
"I think "Sticky" [Aussie coach Ricky Stuart] knows aggression will be a big part of it. It will be, but we don't want to lose it either, discipline will be a big part of it," Asotasi said.
Give away too many penalties and they'll lose, concentrate on putting on the big hits rather than playing football and they'll lose, he says.
Kemble agreed there was inexperience in the Kangaroos halves, as there was in the Kiwis', but said they would not be targeting individuals, rather worrying about their own game. The Kiwis had a big pack but were not seeking to play bully-boy football. That would not win.
"At the end of the day we have to out-smart them."
The Australians had made a habit of beating New Zealand around the ruck area and that was a focus point for the Kiwis defence.
The full squad, including those players on the tour to England, ran at Cornwall Park yesterday and Kemble has no injury concerns. He was concentrating on building combinations.
The combinations between the seven Storm players who are Kangaroos is a bonus for Australia, Asotasi feels. "That can't be underestimated."
The Kiwis have some combinations of their own to count on. Centre Paul Whatuira, who missed the Anzac test in May through injury, is pleased to be back and looking forward to handing the ball off the Wests Tigers teammate and new Kiwi Taniela Tuiaki. "No one wants to tackle him at [Tigers] training. Hopefully he'll keep up his NRL form this weekend."
Whatuira, who at 26 is one of the oldest and longest-serving in the squad, said the new boys were fitting into the side well. "They bring a lot of enthusiasm."
None of them are young, all having made their NRL debuts at a later age than is usual. Tuiaki is 25, as is bench prop Jeff Lima. Sharks wing Luke Covell and Souths halfback Jeremy James Smith are 26. Storm secondrower Jeremy Jon Oscar Smith is 27. Oldest man in the team is newcomer Fuifui Moimoi, 28.
The Aussies flew into Wellington yesterday. Former Wallaby Stuart had already told the media the team wanted to restore some Aussie pride after the union side was knocked out of the Rugby World Cup.
"It's now our responsibility to uphold our sporting traditions and have a good win," he said. If hurt to national pride is to be the winner on Sunday, New Zealand are a shoe-in.