Despite New Zealand's lacklustre start to the international rugby season, Australia will be understandably wary of misjudging the No1 ranked team in the world when the two sides meet in Auckland tomorrow for the opening match of the 14th annual Tri-Nations competition.
The All Blacks shared a scrappy two-Test series with France on home soil, before hobbling to an unconvincing win against Italy last month in Christchurch.
And, while the team's performances drew scathing criticism from the local media, the New Zealand Rugby Union opted to display loyalty and extend coach Graham Henry's contract by three years.
The new deal will see the former British and Irish Lions coach remain in charge until the end of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, which is to be hosted in New Zealand.
Under Henry, who took the reigns in 2004, the All Blacks have an 86 per cent win record, having emerged victorious from 57 of their 66 Tests. They have also won the Tri-Nations four times, completed a clean-sweep of the Lions, and won two Grand Slams in 2005 and 2008.
But injury concerns in the key fly-half position are sure to make things more difficult for the All Blacks in their bid to retain the Tri-Nations title this summer.
Frontline star Dan Carter remains out for the majority of the year with a ruptured Achilles, while both No10s, Luke McAlister and Stephen Donald, are also not fully fit.
If they do not recover in time, Henry may need to play scrum-half Piri Weepu or the uncapped Stephen Brett, both of whom would face harsh tests if selected against Wallabies No10 Matt Giteau tomorrow.
Upfront, however, the nine-time Tri-Nations champions are boosted by the return of key forwards Richie McCaw and Rodney So'oialo. Both players sat out the season-opening Tests last month because of injury.
Henry will hope McCaw, the All Black skipper, can ignite his squad and boost the team's chances against the visitors, who, McCaw will be sure to note, have not won a game at Eden Park for 23 years.
After Australia, New Zealand face two tough Tests away in South Africa in the upcoming weeks so will need to hit top form as quickly as possible.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans will, in contrast, be hoping his side start this year's competition in better fashion than they ended the last. The Aussies lost the final game in 2008, which ultimately cost them the crown.
Deans, who is in his second year as coach of Australia, has controversially replaced Lote Tuqiri and Josh Valentine with No8 Wycliff Palu and Queensland's uncapped, 21-year-old half-back Will Genia from the squad that completed the first phase of the international season last month.
Genia joins Western Force loose-forward Matt Hodgson as the only two uncapped members of the 30-man squad. The aggressive Palu, meanwhile, has not played for Australia since last year after sustaining multiple injuries to his hand. Following tomorrow's clash in Auckland, the Wallabies will have two weeks to prepare for their August 8 clash with South Africa in Cape Town.
No such fortune awaits Springbok rugby coach Peter de Villiers who named only one newcomer – Sharks prop Jannie du Plessis – to the 23-man squad for the first of South Africa's double-header against New Zealand.
The first match takes place at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein on July 25 and besides du Plessis – who last played in November against England – all 22 of the remaining players took part in the closely fought 2-1 Test Series victory over the British & Irish Lions earlier this month.
And the jury is still out on de Villiers, who has been chastised following indifferent strategies and controversial comments during the heated Lions series.
World Cup-winning captain John Smit has come out in defence of his coach though, which will appease the doubters for now. An indifferent performance in the Tri-Nations, however – a competition South Africa last won in 2004 – and de Villiers may soon find his head on the chopping block.
There is plenty of talent available to the 52-year-old but beating the best players from four separate nations in a series is no small feat. The British Lions trophy now joins the World Cup, Sevens Series and Super 14s titles in the South African Rugby Union offices.
Springbok fans will be hoping their team can add the Tri-Nations – a trophy won just twice by South Africa since the tournament started in 1996 – to that impressive collection.
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