All Blacks: ABs switch gears to face Wallabies

Jerome Kaino. Photo / Getty Images

The physicality might not be so intense in Melbourne but it's not as if life will be any easier for the All Blacks who are preparing for a more complex and aerobic challenge than the two they have so far faced in the Tri Nations.

The kick-and-rush, physical rugby offered by the South Africans, bruised and bashed the All Blacks without ever stretching them defensively or posing awkward questions for their attack.

Australia, smarter, more nimble and equipped with arguably the best 9, 10, 12 combination in world rugby are a side with the potential to take the All Blacks on at pass and catch and counter attack with the same devastating effect.

"We have done a bit of analysis work on them," says All Black assistant coach Wayne Smith who was in Brisbane last night with Graham Henry and Steve Hansen to do more. "They score a lot of tries from unstructured play, from broken play and they use the ball very well when it is given to them.

"They are also very good at striking from set pieces, they have a good defensive structure, scramble well and like to counter-attack with a back three that work well. They are, I suppose, a bit like us."

Tactically, the All Blacks are likely to play much the same way and with no injuries, the only likely change to the starting line-up is Joe Rokocoko coming in for Rene Ranger and a decision on halfback delayed until Piri Weepu's domestic situation - he's expecting a child - works itself out.

They will be conscious of the need for ball security when they attack wide, given the counter-attack threat the Wallabies pose and also the need to limit the influence of Will Genia, Quade Cooper and Matt Giteau.

The set piece and collision zone may be even more important, as the All Blacks know they can't give those three time on the ball. They have to be pressured into rash decisions playing behind a retreating pack.

"[Genia and Cooper] showed how dangerous a combination they can be throughout Super 14," says Smith. "We know Adam Ashley-Cooper is a class act at fullback probably as good under the high ball as Mils [Muliaina] and Cory [Jane] which is saying something."

Where the Wallabies are not so All Black-like, is in the scrum. This remains their chronic weakness and an obvious point of attack for the All Blacks.

This is where the All Blacks will try to assert their dominance and set the right tone. They fancy they can send the Wallabies back-pedalling in the scrum and erode their confidence from there.

They are also confident they can win the physical collisions as they did against the South Africans. For all the improvements made by the All Blacks, it is their work at the clean-out that has been the most impressive.

Some of their success is due to to aggression and power. But the key factor has been technique and accuracy.

The South Africans couldn't make a nuisance of themselves at the tackled ball because the All Black clean-out was so swift, so ruthless, so targeted. It looks like a black wall smashes into the contact zone, randomly taking men out. It's anything but.

The All Blacks target individuals, hit them lowand hard and make sure the second and third defenders can't get near the ball.

The speed of the recycle was critical in defeating the Boks and will be something the All Blacks seek in Melbourne.

One of the most important men in that role will be Jerome Kaino, the blindside flanker who has become the constant physical presence he's always aspired to be.

The 27-year-old, whose athleticism and power have never been in doubt, has this season delivered a consistency of performance previously beyond him. He backed up his massive effort in Auckland with a thundering night in Wellington and, for the All Blacks to play with the same width and pace in Melbourne, Kaino must be at the heart of the battle.

"I am fairly happy with the consistency side of things," he says. "I love the style we are playing. I love the confrontation side of things. I am not going to step back.

"I wouldn't say the Australians are far behind the South Africans in the physicality stakes. They definitely pack a punch and they are smarter and quicker. We have to get on the front foot earlier and the responsibility to be aggressive is mine."

That desire to dominate and engage the Wallabies in a physical tussle has a secondary aim - to sap them of energy.

Kaino says the last two games were as aerobically demanding as he has ever faced. The ball was in play for close to 40 minutes at Eden Park. Australia is expected to be similarly inclined to open things up, so the final 20 minutes could come down to who is the best conditioned.

The All Blacks, clearly, believe they have that side of their preparation right. "I actually felt fine in those final 15 minutes of both tests [against the Boks]," says Kaino.

"It is easier when you are winning but we have also trained shorter and harder I think and the balance in my training is geared towards aerobic work. You have to be comfortable with that part, get that part right."