KEY POINTS:
Hitting the lead early against Australia has been identified as crucial as the All Blacks turn their attention to the rugby battle of Brisbane.
With a lightweight challenge from Samoa dispatched in New Plymouth last night to the tune of 101-14, the New Zealanders must lift their focus for a high-stakes encounter on September 13.
It will determine the Tri-Nations champions and possibly the fate of the Bledisloe Cup.
Despite the All Blacks' resurgent form of late and the Wallabies' last-start 53-8 loss to South Africa in Johannesburg, picking a winner is treacherous as this year's tournament has thrown up some massive reversals.
The Johannesburg result came a week after Australia outclassed South Africa in Durban while All Blacks centre Conrad Smith noted his team and the Wallabies traded the roles of dominant winners and hapless losers within the space of seven days at Sydney and Auckland a month ago.
"We've got three really even teams in the Tri-Nations. When a team is motivated and can get a strong start, it's hard to turn around," Smith said.
He reckoned one reason for the marked turnaround in results was rugby's new laws, which rewarded a more conservative, kicking-based game plan and thus teams who can build an early lead.
"Maybe the team that's behind tries to play a bit too much rugby and that can be the end.
"The rules are making it easier to build pressure so once you're up on a side you can really punish a team that tries to come back at you."
It was something Smith's Hurricanes took time to adjust to under the Experimental Law Variations introduced for this year's Super 14.
Likewise the All Blacks had only recently started to grasp the importance of a sound kicking game.
"The rules do allow it, that when you want to attack you really can, but you've still got to be smart with your decisions and pick your moments."
They didn't have to be so selective against the understrength Samoans last night but still tried to play a structured game.
A goal from the match was to chase all kicks with energy and discipline, something that left the outside backs heaving.
Smith said it had taken time to adjust to an opposition starting backline selected from the Samoan domestic game and whose methods differed markedly from what was normally encountered at Super 14 and test level.
"Certainly the defensive style was different. The way they love it if they get a sniff of a chance to snot you in a tackle, they'll take it," he said, admitting he had managed to avoid any bone crunching moments.
"But some of the other boys might have copped a few. We probably didn't adjust to it too well at times."
Veteran prop Greg Somerville emphasised how much focus was on the Brisbane test, saying he felt little emotion when wandering off Yarrow Stadium to complete his final test on home soil.
"I suppose it crosses your mind a wee bit but I know there's still a job to do in Aussie so I haven't dwelled on things too much," said Somerville, who will play for English club Gloucester next year.
- NZPA
