The All Blacks hope referee Joel Jutge will be prepared for more opposition delaying tactics when they face England on Monday.
New Zealand have a perfect five-from-five record in tests the Frenchman has officiated, most recently the 35-17 defeat of South Africa in Wellington in July.
After that
game All Blacks coach Graham Henry accused the Springboks of feigning injuries to slow the game.
Despite talk from both sides of a new English attacking verve, the hosts are likely to try to slow this test in any way they can, turning it into a contest that suits their powerful pack.
They did it effectively last year, according to Henry, stemming the All Blacks' attacking style as they just held on for a 23-19 win.
"Last year we had a problem because one side stopped at the tackle and the other side went through and cleared the ball. So there was a different emphasis from the two sides and the referee found that difficult."
It was the All Blacks who ultimately suffered at the hands of Irish referee Alan Lewis, having three players sinbinned at various stages in the final quarter.
Another method used by teams to slow the game is to question referees about their decisions - something last year's touring Lions adopted but which other international teams also employ on occasion.
The International Rugby Board is tackling the issue this week, threatening players - including captains - with penalties if they remonstrate about decisions.
All Blacks captain Richie McCaw was aware of the IRB's efforts but hadn't been told to address the referee differently. He awaited with interest what Jutge told him under the Twickenham stands before kickoff.
McCaw agreed with the IRB's intentions.
"When there's a lot of talk, it becomes quite frustrating," he said. " "There's no point questioning [the referee] unless it's at the right time. That's something I work on as a captain; you're never going to change his decision."
- NZPA
