KEY POINTS:
The Irish rugby side has descended on various wings and, by history, without a prayer, but glory is not impossible for these men of sporting unification who are arriving in a divided rugby land.
Without a proper coach and with captain Brian O'Driscoll among a trio who have
landed late for the one-off test in the capital, Ireland are apparently perfectly placed to follow in the footsteps of the 20 teams that have gone before them.
Ireland have never beaten the All Blacks since their first attempt in 1905. Two tries from Bob Deans, whose name is among the most famous in rugby lore for a controversy involving Wales, sunk them more than a century ago.
Despite the weight of the scoreboard being against Ireland, the current lot must and apparently do fancy their chances of a stupendous upset against the modern wearers of the Silver Fern who are - notoriously - not being guided by a relative of the original Deans.
Ireland departed their shores to the sound of blarney, the likes of which you might hope not to ever hear again, except for the fact that England will also come here without their new boss Martin Johnson.
The new Irish coach, a certain Declan Kidney, declined to travel as head of this team. Ostensibly, this remarkable no show has occurred because his club side played a final a fortnight before the test and he is weighed down planning Ireland's rugby future.
Maybe another of Kidney's vital organs went on the blink for the opening Australasian assignments, games that would have been treasured by men past but have caused the new coach to skip a massive beat.
As lame excuses go, this should come with two crutches and a wheelchair enclosed, and if Kidney's new players show a similar heart for the battle, then the boys in green will leave Wellington mired in red ink.
Most of us thought international rugby was in bad enough shape when test nations put out B-teams, but we never envisaged a B-coach donning a tracksuit while the head man swanned about in tourist-mode.
Kidney and team manager Paul McNaughton will travel in "observational roles", as grandiose a job description as one can remember being devised for a clipboard carrier.
They could have taken this United Nations bizzo a bit further of course, and had one of them travel as a goodwill ambassador. Maybe that's an idea for the future.
Kidney is clearly saving himself for the really big battles and so this tricky little encounter against the beaten World Cup quarter-finalists has escaped his major attention although who knows, the odd text message might get through.
Goodness knows what he - or anyone else - will think should Ireland win, because his replacement Michael Bradley will bask in the limelight.
The coach's apparent disinterest suggests that even he believes the battle is already lost, that it would be best to treat this particular Irish team as a doomed lab rat to be dissected on the Kidney dish back home.
And yet, there are portents which suggest Ireland have a reasonable chance, and not only because Kidney and McNaughton's bold decision to travel will mean two extra pairs of hands clapping for them in the stands.
There must be questions about whether the old codes of loyalty remain in these new-look All Blacks, whether the ill-treatment of Crusaders coach Deans and Jerry Collins has led to fissures, and if senior All Blacks have perhaps lost faith in their masters. Early troubles in the test could prise these splits wide open.
The All Blacks will be without their front row bulwarks Carl Hayman and Tony Woodcock, a new test lineout will be in operation, they have halfbacks that are half-baked, and a three-quarter line so suspect that even one of our parole boards might not let them out.
Thankfully for wholehearted All Black supporters - who are harder to find than ever before - Deans has sent the spine of this team into camp in good heart and mainly good form, although the brave Carter no longer picks his times to run as he used to.
And the new Wallaby coach's parting gift is a possible answer to the locking crisis, who goes by the name of Brad Thorn, a slab of a man who was unwanted in the initial Henry era but now looms as vital to the cause since other lankier prospects have fired off like arrows into the abyss.
Ireland are not in tip-top form but they are so battle hardened that much of their squad is instantly recognisable on paper, and the likes of Paul O'Connell will want to remind their hosts that he is an Irish tower of strength rather than an observational one.
Ireland's job will be to turn this test - played under old rules which are less aerobically demanding - into a murky battle which fills a new All Black combination with doubt.
Ireland is no longer the land of troubles but they still have few occasions on which their sport can celebrate.
Who knows - Saturday may be one of those nights. You wouldn't bet big on it, no siree. And you wouldn't count against it either.
* So a deal for Dan Carter is close at hand we are told, whereby he will sign for New Zealand until 2011 and be allowed to rake in the euros on a so-called sabbatical. Fair enough, and this is the first step to breaking down the residency rule for the All Blacks. The only thing now is to demand similar rights for every other player in the land. It's called human rights, and there should be lawyers willing to ensure those rights are maintained.
* Kiwi league star Sonny Bill Williams complains that his A$400,000 ($487,197)-a-year deal with the Bulldogs doesn't increase over the years. So why sign it in the first place, Sonny Boy? SBW is a great talent but quite frankly, he ain't a great player even though the desperate Sydney media fawn all over him. Sporadic outbursts of skill do not a team make. Williams is grossly overrated if you regard league as a team sport in which players are only considered great when they perform consistently and selflessly to make great teams. No wonder the Bulldogs and the Kiwis are so erratic.
* All power to Scott Dixon. After the week of his life which included endless interviews, he turns up and places second in the next race. The Indy500 winner is a classic champion, a credit to his sport and true to his talent. I have met so many people who are in raptures at Dixon's IndyCar win and regard it as close to the greatest moment for New Zealand sport. Dixon has a nation of supporters behind him, even if many of us struggle to keep up with the myriad of motorsport classes.
