Rugby: Magic 100 against old foe on the line

Jesse Mogg will be working hard to prove there's more to his game than a booming left-foot punt. Photo / Getty Images

New coach an unknown as Hansen's mob take fresh stab at test win record

What chance of another Dipak Patel moment or, for those with longer memories, a John Beck chapter in tonight's start to the Bledisloe Cup series.

Beck became the first New Zealand cricketer to fall one short of a test century when he was run out in South Africa 60 years ago. Six other Kiwis have experienced the same fate, including John Wright twice, while Patel lost his chance of a test ton in 1991 when he was short of his crease going for the extra run.

The All Blacks suffered a similar stutter to their step last year when they pitched up to Brisbane with 16 test wins in succession and fell as much to their own neglect as to the Wallabies' superiority.

They drew the test 18-all but the winning sequence had stalled and the chance to claim 100 test wins against the Wallabies was gone.

No international team has reached that target against any nation but the All Blacks get another crack in Sydney if they give Ewen McKenzie's men a black eye to begin the Rugby Championship.

Where those results were starting to look automatic during Robbie Deans' tenure, that notion has been replaced by more uncertainty at the birth of McKenzie's coaching occupation.

He has coat-tailed the work of the Brumbies in the Super 15 and tacked on some experience, and delivered a rearranged backline.

Matt Toomua is a five-eighth who has a very level grasp on life away from the park and appears to have found that same equilibrium on it. He has had one of the best to tutor him in the arts with Stephen Larkham overseeing that division down with the Brumbies.

The five-eighth lists defence as a preference rather than a dislike as many in that role do and the give and take between him and Aaron Cruden looms as a must-watch segment of the test.

Fullback Jesse Mogg is another new face whose work will be assessed to judge what he gives outside a booming left-foot punt until he uses his gas in the opposition half.

Does he have more to his game and more importantly have McKenzie and his crew been able to change his instincts to take on a new style?

Another theory floating around the Wallaby environs is they will look to batter the heart out of the All Blacks up front.

It can happen and there was a lack of heat about the black pack when the sides had their stalemate last season in Brisbane.

The late departure of Liam Messam reduces some sting, and Steven Luatua has a big role to fill and show he is a test forward ahead of competitors like Victor Vito or Brad Shields.

Preparation this week should have been tasty with pointed reminders about the sloppy performance in Brisbane, the jibes from the refreshed Wallabies and extra work from Mike Cron at the scrum.

Confidence always comes with the Wallabies and McKenzie has delivered plenty of front-foot comments including a strong belief about his scrum.

"There are two things, the scrum and the rest of the game, so I am interested in the scrum and the rest of the game and have picked guys who are pretty good contributors in totality and are also good scrummagers as well."

The Wallabies had strong technicians and others on the rise for the front row.

McKenzie had worked with extra reserves in Europe and he would use that option tonight.

The All Blacks want to make him think about that early. Whether they get the chance is problematic and in the control of referee Craig Joubert.

The advantage law can reduce the number of scrums, while Joubert will set the benchmark for decisions in this first test under the revised crouch, bind, set commands.

This is an area where the All Blacks want to show some dominance which they believe will flow through into other parts of their work.