KEY POINTS:
The Wallabies believe they will face an All Black side with a quartet of changes for their first Bledisloe Cup test on Saturday in Melbourne.
Coach John Connolly nominated Keven Mealamu, Chris Jack, Piri Weepu and Luke McAlister as the different players from the All Black team which began their Tri-Nations campaign with a 26-21 victory against the Springboks in Durban.
Senior lock Jack would return after his compassionate leave for the birth of his first child, while Mealamu was a regular pick against the Wallabies and there was little between the All Black backline choices.
"I also think they will change the way they play, they will throw the inside balls against us a lot more," Connolly said in looking at the McG clash.
The coach thought the turning point in the Durban test came when Butch James was replaced at first five-eighths by Francois Steyn. After that, the Springboks played a much looser final quarter and any side which did that against the All Blacks would be punished by the World Cup favourites.
"They're No 1 in the world by a distance and they deserve that," Connolly said.
"They're strong favourites, they've just got so much depth. The list across the board is just so strong and they've got so many weapons on the field."
The All Blacks arrive tonight in Melbourne while the Wallabies have been in camp since the weekend. Fullback Chris Latham has joined the squad but is only an outside chance to play in the final Tri-Nations test at Eden Park after surgery to reconstruct his knee.
There were few murmurs about any Wallaby alterations after their 22-19 opening loss to the Springboks. There were thoughts about whether the Wallabies might revert to their George Smith-Phil Waugh twin breakaway system or could tinker with their kicking options by picking Mark Gerrard on the wing instead of Drew Mitchell.
Fullback Julian Huxley is also under some heat and there have been noises about the claims of utility looseforward Hugh McMenamin.
The All Blacks have played the Wallabies twice at the MCG, winning in 1997 but losing the following year in the middle of their five-test losing streak. The All Blacks were based in Melbourne during the last World Cup but played all their matches at the Telstra Dome.
* All Blacks prop Greg Somerville has ended a 10-month period recovering from injury with a successful return to the field. Somerville, who tore his Achilles tendon against the Springboks at Pretoria last August, came through 40 minutes of a Christchurch club game for Merivale on Saturday without any trouble.
