Preview: All Blacks vs Australia

At the start of the season, no one at Hayman's Beard would have thought we'd be here now, standing on the precipice of possibly losing both the Tri-Nations and the Bledisloe Cup.

Basking in the glory of a Fully Bearded tour of the Northern Hemisphere, where the All Blacks played stunning rugby to destroy all opposition, we were confident of a strong run through the Tri-Nations as a warm-up for the World Cup.

Things don't always go to plan. Upset by an Australian side including a forward pack which wouldn't offer a single player to anyones World XV, and with form that can only be described as indifferent, the All Blacks find themselves in a must win scenario. Their Tri-Nations trophy is on the line. And so is the Bledisloe, which they've held since 2003. The perception that this team was invincible has been broken, and now they need a strong win in a do-or-die match of epic proportions, against the old foes.


And Hayman's Beard couldn't be happier.

Let's dispense with all the conjecture about the rotation policy, because as much as we enjoy moaning about it, the fact is it's not going to change.

What this team needs is testing. And there can be no bigger test heading into a World Cup than what they will face on Saturday.

If we imagine for a moment that they had beaten Australia in Melbourne, then crushed the Springboks in Christchurch before easily dispatching the Wallabies again in Auckland, where would that leave us?

A team full of confidence perhaps, and a public placated (for now).

But when the time comes and this team reaches that semi-final or Beard-willing the final itself, would we rather they'd had an easy run this season, or had to face must-win encounters before?

Saturday's match is incredibly important for the World Cup, to give the All Blacks the knowledge that when they enter a situation where only one outcome is acceptable, they have The Beards to do it.

Let us not underestimate the Australians. Their backline, with a combined age of over 7000, has the experience and skills to outplay us as they did at the MCG. Gregan was able to nullify our scrum advantage by forgetting how to put the ball in for 80 minutes, and that, along with our lack of tactical kicking, meant that our forward dominance mattered little come fulltime.

Their forward pack may be less effective than the East-Tamaki womens bowling club at the basics of rugby, but the Wallaby nouse more than makes up for it.

We should not forget that.

Nor should we forget how important it is for The Beard to make a return at this key point in the season. How it would fill our hearts with joy to feel the disturbance in The Force that would be The Beard marching out onto Eden Park, the static charge causing the lights to flicker and filling the television cameras with static.

All we can do is keep the faith and pray for its return.

All Blacks
Forwards: Tony Woodcock, Anton Oliver, Carl Hayman, Chris Jack, Keith Robinson, Jerry Collins, Richie McCaw (captain), Rodney So'oialo
Backs: Byron Kelleher, Dan Carter, Josevata Rokocoko, Luke McAlister, Isaia Toeava, Doug Howlett, Mils Muliaina
Reserves: Keven Mealamu, Neemia Tialata, Reuben Thorne, Chris Masoe, Brendon Leonard, Aaron Mauger, Nick Evans.

Australia
Forwards: Matt Dunning, Stephen Moore, Guy Shepherdson, Nathan Sharpe, Dan Vickerman, Rocky Elsom, George Smith (vc), David Lyons
Backs: George Gregan, Stephen Larkham, Drew Mitchell, Matt Giteau, Stirling Mortlock (captain), Mark Gerrard, Adam Ashley-Cooper
Reserves: Adam Freier, Al Baxter, Hugh McMeniman, Stephen Hoiles, Phil Waugh (vc), Scott Staniforth, Chris Latham