KEY POINTS:
EDINBURGH - All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu is wary of walking into a "kilted Kiwi" rugby ambush at Murrayfield when New Zealand meet Scotland on Sunday (NZT).
Sean Fitzpatrick's new mentoring role for test hooker Ross Ford and Mike Brewer's appointment as Scotland's forward coach has Mealamu slightly edgy as the All Blacks seek to preserve their 103-year unbeaten record against the Scots.
"We'll have to watch out for that, they're very smart men and they'll have an insight into the way New Zealanders play," he said.
Mealamu had barely been confirmed as the All Blacks' first-choice hooker following Andrew Hore's ankle sprain against the Wallabies in Hong Kong last weekend before learning his job might be that bit harder should he make the starting 15.
"I'm maybe a bit jealous he doesn't help us," Mealamu said of Fitzpatrick's designation as a "one-on-one" mentor for Ford under the Winning Scotland Foundation (WSF) programme.
Fitzpatrick is the only non-Scottish international involved in the programme after agreeing to assist the 22-cap hooker.
"It'll be awesome for him (Ford)," Mealamu said.
"The guy (Fitzpatrick) has achieved so much, he's one of the true greats of New Zealand rugby, of world rugby."
Brewer, a former captain of Otago and Canterbury who made 32 test appearances, has a more intimate knowledge of the Scottish set up.
Head coach Frank Hadden recruited Brewer, 43, from Ireland where he spent three years as Leinster's forwards coach.
This followed stints at L'Aquila in Italy and West Hartlepool where he guided the club to promotion into the English Premiership.
Brewer replaced George Graham in June and took little time in predicting the Scottish pack would eventually match their All Blacks counterparts.
"Up until the last few seasons the main difference between New Zealand and the Northern Hemisphere was competition," Brewer said.
"When I played in the amateur days it didn't matter if I got injured because there was someone else to take my place.
"Whereas in the Northern Hemisphere a classic example is (former Ireland forward) Victor Costello, a guy I worked with.
"It didn't matter how well he played or how hard he trained, he knew he was going to get picked.
"The environment's changed now. After 10 years of professional rugby all the players currently playing have come through the system.
"They have been earmarked at the age of 16 and they have come through the professional system whereby physically they are pretty much the same as the physical specimens being produced in New Zealand. And with that there are more numbers.
"This squad has got seven or eight years of international rugby in front of them and that is an exciting start."
Meanwhile, Mealamu is looking forward to the prospect of starting a test for the first time this season after dropping behind Hore in coach Graham Henry's pecking order.
"It's a big chance for me. I want to do my job and do it well," the veteran of 61 tests said.
Mealamu only played one provincial game for Auckland since the end of the Tri-Nations and admitted he was still striving for match sharpness after a 75-minute stint in the 19-14 win over Australia in Hong Kong's last Saturday.
"Going from 20 minutes to 70 minutes is a big difference," he said.
"I've been doing a bit of training off the field but that's no substitute for rugby. The lungs are good - I just need to make the sure I get the sharpness back."
- NZPA
