KEY POINTS:
The jury is out on the Tri-Nations outcome while the All Blacks have backed the same XV to defend their crown in Brisbane.
This was no time for tinkering, no place for experiment, coach Graham Henry said as he unveiled a side unchanged from Auckland and Cape Town to shoot for the title in the Southern Hemisphere series on Saturday.
Some changes had occurred to allow injuries to mend and reserves to make up for their lack of matchplay in the interim test against Samoa in New Plymouth but yesterday Henry and his colleagues wheeled out the Tri-Nations side which has succeeded since the opening loss to the Wallabies in Sydney.
Henry and his selectors will be hoping the outcome at Suncorp Stadium has some connection to the uncomplicated choice of their starting combination.
"It was an easy team to pick. It is a reasonably new team, I think half the team are new from last year, but we are just trying to be pretty consistent to develop the combinations and they have played the last two [Tri-Nations] test matches," the coach said.
The only uncertainty was in the reserves, where prop John Afoa was still troubled by injury and had been bracketed with Neemia Tialata with a decision to be made later in the week on who would be on the bench.
After several indifferent displays Sione Lauaki has been left out of the replacements. His place is being taken by the workaholic lineout option Adam Thomson, while the versatile Isaia Toeava has also been included instead of another wing.
Tighthead Greg Somerville would play his 65th test as the most capped prop in All Black history in a match which may be his swansong from New Zealand rugby.
He is taking up a contract in England this year and will miss the All Blacks tour to Hong Kong and Europe if the selectors think they have suitable cover.
Forwards coach Steve Hansen praised his senior prop and suggested his experience would be vital on Saturday when referee Jonathan Kaplan required the sides to scrum.
Henry suggested the huge defeat inflicted on the Wallabies in their last test had not done the All Blacks any favours.
It would have sharpened the Wallabies' edge and attitude to make amends and this Tri-Nations series had shown how sides coming off serious losses had improved.
Those sort of topsy-turvy results said a great deal about the closeness of the sides, the impact of the new laws and the mental edge that was needed to win these games.
Last year in Auckland had been a winner-takes-all series and that same scenario had arrived again for Brisbane, Henry said.
"I think the teams have been together for three months plus and I think they are pretty keen to get on the field. There has been a lot of preparation, a lot of time put in there and the time has come where they want to play."
It was great that captain Richie McCaw had recovered from sore ribs after his work in the Cape Town victory which Henry saw as "his best game as an All Black", with outstanding leadership, play and influence.
His return to rugby after a long time out at Eden Park had been special but Henry thought his skipper had excelled even more in the 19-0 win against the Boks in Cape Town.
It had taken the rest of the team a little while "to get their feet under the table and feel comfortable" but they were more settled now _ though Henry added, with his wry smirk, he hoped they were not too comfortable.
All Blacks
Mils Muliaina, Richard Kahui, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Dan Carter, Jimmy Cowan, Rodney So'oialo, Richie McCaw (captain), Jerome Kaino, Ali Williams, Brad Thorn, Greg Somerville, Andrew Hore, Tony Woodcock.
Reserves: Keven Mealamu, John Afoa/Neemia Tialata, Anthony Boric, Adam Thomson, Piri Weepu, Stephen Donald, Isaia Toeava.
Australia
Adam Ashley-Cooper, Peter Hynes, Ryan Cross, Stirling Mortlock (captain), Lote Tuqiri, Matt Giteau, Sam Cordingley; Benn Robinson, Stephen Moore, Al Baxter, James Horwill, Nathan Sharpe, Rocky Elsom, George Smith, Wycliff Palu.
Reserves: Adam Freier, Matt Dunning, Hugh McMeniman, Phil Waugh, Richard Brown, Brett Sheehan, Drew Mitchell.
