KEY POINTS:
The All Blacks can't guarantee a perfect opening-night performance for their new lineout in Monday's test.
Yet another poor lineout return in their last-start loss to South Africa two months ago prompted a review by All Blacks management and several changes to the set piece.
Prop Tony Woodcock believes the changes may take a couple of games to bed in.
"There's always teething problems," he said. "I don't know if you can expect to fix things straight away, but we're in the right direction."
His comments mirror those of forwards coach Steve Hansen, who has said the new lineout technique calls for players to overhaul lifelong habits. They couldn't be expected to suddenly produce the perfect lineout.
Hansen has been on notice since the Tri-Nations to get the lineout right.
After the 21-20 loss to the Springboks at Rustenburg in September, coach Graham Henry was asked whether a specialist coach would be introduced to help the ailing lineout.
"We have a specialist coach," replied Henry. "Steve Hansen."
Before the team left for Britain Hansen said things would get better.
"We are not going to lift from 70 per cent or whatever it is at the moment to 100, but I think we will see some big improvements."
Captain Richie McCaw said getting every player on the same wavelength was crucial.
"Everyone comes from different provincial teams and you all have your own little way of doing it," McCaw said.
"Perhaps that's something we haven't addressed earlier."
The locking partnership of Chris Jack and Keith Robinson, who dominated England in two home tests in 2004, is reunited.
Flanker Reuben Thorne will provide a quality third option for hooker Keven Mealamu to aim at.
Uncovering any technical detail about the new lineout this week has been like procuring blood from a brick in the Tower of London.
"It's just basically moving faster when the calls are made" was as much as Woodcock would say.
Jack was also suitably vague.
"Just our setups before the jump," he murmured.
"We're simplifying things as well, so things will be easier. It will take a while but hopefully we'll get there."
- NZPA
