KEY POINTS:
Crouch, touch, pause, engage - time to examine the playing prowess of the national XV again after 245 days of picking over the All Black carcass left at Cardiff.
Instead of looking back, tonight's test against Ireland in Wellington offers the chance to sift through the new mob, to judge the individual skills and combinations of those charged by Graham Henry and Co with starting their fifth annual campaign with an uplifting victory.
There were some token inquiries about the likely patterns in this opening international before the All Black coach had to deal once more with the stains of the World Cup and what impact that had on the group.
Had Henry noticed the vitriol being aimed at himself, his panel and his NZRU employers?
"To some extent. But that's just the way it is and I have just got to handle that as best I can. I don't read it, don't listen to it but I know it is happening, I see headlines.
"As I say, you just can't afford to lose test matches in Rugby World Cups without creating a huge reaction in this country.
"That's the way it is, the expectation is huge and you wouldn't want to change that expectation and I think that is one of the strengths of the game in this country.
"Because of the expectation, if we don't live up to that expectation for whatever reason, you are going to have criticism. I guess the only way that will change is if this side plays particularly well and continues to play particularly well like they have done over the last four years most of the time."
A triumph and one with some substance would be high on the All Black wishlist but the messy weather forecast may markedly affect both teams' tactics.
Strong southerlies are predicted to hammer the Cake Tin and there are fears lashings of rain will also hit the waterfront arena, limiting hopes of a walkup crowd completing the 34,500 capacity. Cue set-piece control and the tactical kicking prowess of both Daniel Carter and Ronan O'Gara, two players well used to directing their sides to victory in unpleasant conditions.
"We will have to be smart with what we do," All Black skipper Richie McCaw said.
"If it is wet and windy and whatever, you have to play the right sort of rugby and obviously playing at the right end of the field, if it is like that, is pretty critical."
A return to the code's old laws for this test and the two against England, with full arm penalties rather than free kicks for ruck infringements, will place even more heat on referee Chris White and defenders when they are in their own 22.
Pressure was coming on a variety of fronts, Henry conceded.
There was always anxiety about the first test of the season, the coaching staff had not been hands-on for about seven months and had to balance their desire to get started with not flooding the players with too much detail.
"The short preparation time has been a challenge, certainly has been a challenge for me. So four training runs and trying to keep the lid on it so we don't overcook the guys and try and get enough information through so they have got a good plan to go forward, that has been a challenge as well so, yep, there is more pressure than normal," he said.
More heat too because of the collapse in Cardiff at the World Cup?
"For sure. In this country you can't afford to lose test matches and especially can't afford to lose test matches in Rugby World Cups," Henry said.
"That causes a lot of interest and interpretation and that has occurred and that forces pressure for sure."
Henry had not considered whether there was added stress to defend an unbeaten 103-year streak against the Irish but he was sure the visitors would use that as part of their motivation.
Ten of tonight's All Blacks were at the World Cup and had an immediate chance to atone for the 20-18 loss to France and Henry, while not accepting tonight was the biggest challenge of his career, rated it in the top category.
Some new concepts were being tried and would take some time to become ingrained.
"We are trying to introduce other things into the game that we haven't done before. Some of it has not gelled yet but it will," he said.
"I think you are always trying to get better at the game you are playing.
"You are always trying to push the boundaries out a wee bit further and try things you think will work as the game evolves with the globals ELVs and the new laws."
Wellington, tonight, 7.35pm
ALL BLACKS
Mils Muliaina
Anthony Tuitavake
Conrad Smith
Ma'a Nonu
Sitiveni Sivivatu
Dan Carter
Andy Ellis
Jerome Kaino
Richie McCaw (c)
Rodney Sooialo
Ali Willliams
Brad Thorn
John Afoa
Andrew Hore
Neemia Tialata
IRELAND
Robert Kearney
Shane Horgan
Brian O'Driscoll (c)
Paddy Wallace
Tommy Bowe
Ronan O'Gara
Eoin Reddan
Jamie Heaslip
David Wallace
Denis Leamy
D. O'Callaghan
Paul O'Connell
John Hayes
Jerry Flannery
Marcus Horan.
All Blacks: Keven Mealamu, John Schwalger, Anthony Boric, Adam Thomson, Jimmy Cowan. Ireland: Girvan Dempsey, Geordan Murphy, Peter Stringer, Shane Jennings, Mick O'Driscoll, Tony Buckley, Rory Best
