Joy at reclaiming the Bledisloe Cup last year disappeared amid the gloom of the World Cup failure, but senior All Blacks Justin Marshall and Kees Meeuws have not forgotten how much it meant.
After five long years without, New Zealand reclaimed the symbol of transtasman supremacy by winning both tests last year.
As evidence of what the Bledisloe Cup meant to the All Blacks, Marshall pointed to photographs of the players reacting emotionally to the fulltime whistle after the 21-17 win at Eden Park.
"There are about six guys around where the referee blew his whistle ... we were thrilled to have that cup back in the country. The atmosphere on the night in Auckland showed that," he said.
"It's a very important cup for us. There's a huge rivalry that has developed between us and Australia."
Marshall said the All Blacks wanted the Wallabies to have an empty space in their trophy cabinet for a while.
The holders need to win only one of the two tests to retain the cup and the veteran halfback was hoping that would come tomorrow.
"They need to win this one, don't they?" Marshall said.
"We had blood and guts and sweated it out last year. We don't want to hand it back to them.
"They held on to it for quite a while and it's a difficult trophy to get back with only two games."
Meeuws made his test debut late in 1998 against Australia, after the All Blacks had already lost the Bledisloe Cup.
Although he did not get on the field at Eden Park last year, he felt as elated as anyone at the result.
"That was huge after six years in the All Blacks, and without having ever had that cup," said Meeuws.
"Before last year we'd often win one and they'd win one to retain it.
"So it was a huge bonus for the team to win it back, and personally, it was just great to have it."
Meeuws is bracing for a tough challenge in the forwards, dismissing the usual claims that the Wallabies' pack could be a weak point.
"I've never seen anything wrong with their pack. They've always got quality ball from their scrum and lineout," Meeuws said.
"People might say that they're not that great but if you look at their track record, there hasn't been any team that's really dominated them in the last three years.
"They are a good pack."
Meeuws said it would be difficult for either side to surprise the other tactically at Westpac Stadium because both coaching regimes were so well organised.
The teams are evenly matched on paper.
The All Blacks can boast 383 test caps to their opponents' 366. Both teams have more experience in their backlines, New Zealand's back division having played 246 tests to Australia's 194.
Australia's forwards have 172 combined caps to New Zealand's 137.
New Zealand have seven starting players back from last year's World Cup semifinal loss to Australia. There are just two forwards, hooker Keven Mealamu and lock Chris Jack, along with halves Marshall and Carlos Spencer and the back three of Mils Muliaina, Doug Howlett and Joe Rokococo.
Meeuws and flanker Marty Holah both came off the bench in that game and will start tomorrow.
Australia have nine starters back, including backline stars Stephen Larkham, centre Stirling Mortlock and winger Lote Tuqiri. Up front are loose forwards David Lyons and Phil Waugh, prop Bill Young, hooker Brendan Cannon and locks Nathan Sharpe and Justin Harrison.
- NZPA
Senior players want a repeat of Bledisloe joy
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