Last updated 05:00 25/07/2011
OPINION: If the All Blacks are going to make a bold statement – fire the first psychological blow in this all-important rugby year – then they need to produce something emphatic over the next fortnight.
The phoney war is over and the Tri-Nations, albeit abbreviated, is before us. Nothing short of two wins at home against South Africa on Saturday and Australia a week later will do.
While in the event of a loss in either game I would caution against hitting the panic button, the importance of this next two weeks cannot be overstated. The Rugby World Cup will be played on our turf, our grounds, in our cities, and in an environment we feel at home in.
That's why it's so important the All Blacks lay down a marker in this Tri-Nations and produce the type of obdurate performance which will win us the cup – hard, hostile, uncompromising, ruthless and very accurate.
Imagine if the Aussies beat us at Eden Park on August 6. Imagine the boost their confidence would receive.
Perhaps it's better not to. They're never short on confidence, so while these next four tests won't win us the cup, they could contribute to losing it. Step one was on Friday night when the All Blacks took on Fiji.
Richie McCaw's side was solid, if not spectacular, and I think the All Blacks should be reasonably pleased with their performance. There was plenty of rust and yet they managed to score 60 points while looking a tad average. We also garnered a small insight into their game plan for this year, which they need to evolve. Teams will come to New Zealand this year having studied their every move.
While it was impossible to fully assess how much progress the All Blacks have made against Fiji, they appeared to make some tweaks, which could be effective when the big guns are ushered back in after their rests.
Australia too appear to have moved on from last year.
They looked good in beating an under-strength South African side 39-20 on Saturday night. Both sides will be tremendously difficult to beat at home in the Tri-Nations. That's why executing Henry's blueprint for success will be as important as retaining the championship.
In other words, I want to see substance over style. For any last-minute tips, Henry need look no further than Christchurch's Rugby Park on Saturday, where Southland won the Ranfurly Shield off Canterbury, notably, via a rarity in New Zealand rugby, a drop goal.
The win should resonate not only in Invercargill, where the passion for the log is undimmed. Southland are now expert in their approach and attitude in sudden-death-style rugby. They are the obdurate, stubborn, win-it-any-way-possible force the All Blacks aspire and need to be over the next few weeks.
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