KEY POINTS:
The all Black coaches will be able to determine this morning whether they were right to change the entire culture of the team after an epiphany in South Africa three years ago.
According to a new book out next month by Herald on Sunday rugby writer Gregor Paul, defeat in Johannesburg in 2004 led to coach Graham Henry pushing through the most significant changes in the All Blacks' 101-year history.
The All Black coaches sat in Ellis Park's stands and watched their side go to pieces when the Boks cranked up the pressure. Henry and his management team concluded that unless they ripped up the existing management model and gave the players unprecedented responsibility for their own affairs, kicked out the booze culture and attempted to make them better people, they would keep coming back from the Republic empty handed.
Last night's clash in Durban was the definitive test of how far the All Blacks have been revolutionised under Henry. The result, in a sense, was not necessarily the be-all and end-all - the ability to make good decisions under pressure was just as important.
And that, as revealed in the Reign of King Henry, has been the essence of the last three years. Henry has introduced the mantra 'better people make better All Blacks' and, regardless of what happens in the Tri Nations, there are few people close to the team who doubt the success that has been achieved.
New Zealand Rugby Union deputy chief executive Steve Tew said: "This current management team have worked hard at bettering the players in terms of building their skills and experiences off the field and have achieved considerable success.
"I think it is apparent many of the players have grown as people but it also has to be remembered that this is a maturing group of players, many of whom have been to one World Cup already as well as having many Tri Nations campaigns behind them as well as the Lions series."
Further evidence of just how prepared the All Blacks are to win the World Cup for the first time in 20 years will come in Melbourne on Saturday.
The leadership of the side will be severely tested playing a game they are expected to win against vastly underrated opponents.
In 2004 the All Blacks couldn't handle the pressure when they played their away leg of the Tri Nations. Now confidence is high they can.
"We can only keep chipping away and hope that we are building up mechanisms to deal with that pressure," senior player Leon MacDonald said. "But we feel we are making progress. I think we are a stronger team now."
