KEY POINTS:
1 - The return of Richie
Rugby's demigod is back, one of those once in a lifetime players whose deeds will encourage his troops to give even more, to sweat the small stuff and every other part of the Eden Park action tonight. McCaw has been described as a player and a half which equates to the talents of George Smith and Phil Waugh, leaving Jerome Kaino and Rodney So'oialo to sort out the beast Wycliff Palu. He will not be on a full set of plugs tonight but his return will be a massive team boost.
2 - Carter kicks his goals
Somehow he missed a kick in Sydney but he may have been a little puffed after all those breaks he made. The success rate will surely be reversed tonight. However worries for the Convicts will be that if Carter makes as many breaks as he did last week, then the All Blacks will accrue the points which eluded them in the opening skirmish.
3 - Eliminate the dumb rugby
A replay of the tape would have been gruesome and may have explained the All Blacks' long delay in getting to their first training session this week. It was uguly reading to see the All Blacks missed more than half their tackles and made more than double the handling errors of the Wallabies. Throughout All Black history the side has shown an ability to right their wrongs and show why they remain the toughest foe in world rugby. New Zealand needs maxim more than ever.
4 - Take the lineouts
The All Blacks have been avoiding that part of the game for too long and it is making them too predictable. Let's take the initiative, bang the ball into touch early and challenge the ockers to first claim their ball and then clear from down their end of the field. Smith will probably have to assist Nathan Sharpe and James Horwell as targets while the All Blacks have Brad Thorn, Ali Williams, Kaino, McCaw and So'oialo to attack and defend in that combat.
5 - Schmooze the officials
The IRB has some rules about teams not being able to discuss ruling or law interpretations with match officials before the test. So in a proactive move, let's hope NZRU staff dress up as hotel staff and offer to referee Mark Lawrence and his colleagues this morning at breakfast.
6 - Scrum the resistance out of the Wallabies
No question the Ockers have sorted out some of their scrumming dificulties. But there seems to be a little bit of angst before the test in Sydney where the All Blacks were suggesting the Ockers were up to all sorts of shady stuf including some dodgy delivery to the set pieces. Mike Cron, the guru of grunt for the men in black, reckons the world is catching up to New Zealand in the dark arts of scrummaging but he also believes his men are still in front. It was not so clear-cut in Sydney but tonight would be a great stage to deliver that advantage.
7 - Rattle Burgess
This kid Luke Burgess could be a ripper, well that's the verdict from Nick Farr-Jones who knew a thing or two about halfback play. So the All Blacks need to upset him. If Burgess starts throwing Harbour Bridge balloons, then it will effect the rest of the backline. If he tries to make a foray and is snotted, that too will put doughts into the rookie.
PREDICTION:
The All Blacks by seven and the series will head in Brisbane in six weeks' time (yes, six weeks) for the next match between the transtasman foes. The TAB has the All Blacks at $1.50 and the Wallabies at $2.50 to win tonight's test.
