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EDINBURGH - Senior All Blacks have followed their coach's example, fending off questions about their looming test rugby reunion with referee Wayne Barnes with little elaboration.
Keven Mealamu, New Zealand's captain for Sunday's test against Scotland at Murrayfield, and Ali Williams were loathe to discuss Barnes or whether they had considered how to communicate with the Englishman inextricably linked with the All Blacks' failed World Cup campaign last year.
Barnes was vilified in New Zealand after the quarterfinal loss to France in Cardiff for sinbinning Luke McAlister, missing a forward pass in the lead-up to the winning try and failing to penalise the French in the second half.
Williams was the only player who went public about Barnes after the 20-18 loss, describing his decision not to penalise the French as "bullshit".
The gregarious lock made his assessment in May, shortly after head coach Graham Henry was reappointed amid heated debate.
Williams answered "No" and "No" when asked if Barnes had been a discussion point during the build-up to the first leg of the All Blacks' Grand Slam attempt while Mealamu, who stands in for Richie McCaw, was slightly more forthcoming.
"We can't control the referees, there hasn't been any talk in the camp," said Mealamu, who will become the All Blacks' 63rd captain.
Henry also skirted the Barnes issue earlier this week, saying he had analysed a couple of the Englishman's recent performances without issuing an appraisal.
The pair had also "exchanged pleasantries" in Cape Town after the All Blacks Tri-Nations test with South Africa in August.
The Scots have been more talkative about Barnes' involvement, giving the official their endorsement.
Coach Frank Hadden expressed confidence in Barnes after a discussion with International Rugby Board referees boss Paddy O'Brien while Scottish captain Mike Blair doubted the referee would be an issue.
"I don't think it'll be a factor," he said.
"I know Wayne relatively well through international and European games and I don't think it's something that will be playing on anyone's minds too much.
"They know how hard the referee's job is.
"Invariably they'll be some mistakes he'll make it a game but it's not something we'll be too worried about."
However, Blair agreed the tackle area was likely to be hard to fathom.
"The breakdown is a relatively hard area to referee, there's always going to be someone who's a little bit disappointed with how it's refereed," Blair said.
"The players just have to get on with the game, what will be, will be."
Henry also sympathised with the plight of referees but said the ruck could be ruled effectively, citing last weekend's Bledisloe Cup test.
"The interpretation at the breakdown was refereed well in Hong Kong," he said.
"That is, the tackler has to get away from the ball, so he tackles and has to get on his feet. He can't impede the ball.
"If the referee concentrates on that factor first most of our problems at the breakdown will be alleviated.
"Then he needs to look at the next guys arriving and if they arrive through the gate and they stay on their feet. I realise it's a hard area to referee because there's a lot of bodies being fired in there in a very short period of time.
"But if he's got a very clear vision of what's required there it works. It worked at the weekend and both sides got reasonably quick ball."
The Australians were not as enamoured with the performance of Alan Lewis last Saturday and fired off a complaint to O'Brien about the Irish whistler after they lost a 5-11 penalty count.
Lewis also missed a forward pass leading to McCaw's match-winning try.
- NZPA
