Inga Tuigamala: McCaw - Smith battle the key to Bledisloe

Tomorrow's test match will probably come down to who wins the individual battle between Richie McCaw and George Smith.

The All Blacks are a different team with McCaw back and they'll be banking on their captain producing another massive effort.

But Smith is also a class act and he will be out to celebrate his 100th game with a win against the All Blacks.

It says quite a bit about the current All Black team that they depend so heavily on McCaw.

In my time, we were fortunate that we had so many players of that calibre, legends in their own right.

Sean Fitzpatrick was a guy who stood out but he was just one of a group of players of the same iconic calibre.

I'm talking about guys like Michael Jones, Zinzan Brooke, Buck Shelford and John Kirwan.

We had so many players who could change a game. Today's team just doesn't have many players of that calibre. Dan Carter and McCaw really stand out, and maybe one or two others.

The All Blacks have made a slow start this year with three pretty ugly performances against France and Italy but there were plenty of players in key positions missing for those games.

The atrocious weather was also a factor in performances that certainly weren't much of a spectacle. In comparison with the Lions' tour of South Africa, it was pretty ugly stuff, but it would be a mistake to read too much into that.

Those matches might have been better spectacles but they were played in perfect conditions. I don't think the All Blacks are that far off the pace.

That said, Graham Henry and his coaching team will be concerned their side is not really where they'd want it to be. On current form you'd have to say we are underdogs for tomorrow's match. History shows that we don't lose very often to Australia at Eden Park, but history counts for nothing.

The Wallabies seem to have plenty of good young players coming through, which is a tribute to Robbie Deans' ability to develop and nurture young talent. The All Blacks don't appear to have that same balance about them. It is going to be a real test of character.

But this is the All Blacks and it is our oldest rivals from across the creek, so I don't expect any All Black to take a backward step.

Many of the All Blacks have plenty to prove. Stephen Donald had a fantastic Super 14 but this is test rugby. It is a whole new level. Against France there were areas of his game that weren't quite up to test standard, but he is still young and I am optimistic he will step up to the mark.

The reality is that he has to. With Carter out we are very fragile in that area. Luke McAlister is not a specialist, which is what is needed at test level. Without a well-settled, specialist first five-eighths, no team will go far.

At the moment, it appears to be a case of wait and see. It will be interesting to see how that particular chapter unfolds tomorrow.

If we can conjure a bit of mongrel in our pack, be really physical on defence and precise and accurate in our backs then players like Mils Muliaina should flourish.

Personally, I would love to have seen a bit more firepower out wide. I think the selectors should have stuck with Lelia Masaga. He did nothing wrong against Italy and he has the ability to keep a defence guessing.

Sanzar's half-hearted inquiry whether Samoa wanted to bid to host the 15th Super Rugby team was an insult to Pacific Islands rugby.

Basing a team in Samoa is not commercially or economically viable and Sanzar knows that.

It was like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey.

If Sanzar was really serious about supporting rugby in the Islands it would introduce a combined Pacific team and support it financially.

The Islands contribute hugely to rugby in New Zealand and Australia. What do they get in return? A slap in the face.