Wynne Gray: The last men standing

When the All Blacks depart for their Tri-Nations campaign today they will leave without halfback Justin Marshall, who was their one remaining link to the inaugural series in 1996.

The Wallabies still have Tri-Nations original George Gregan and the Springboks have resurrected Os du Randt, but the All Blacks have no one with personal recollections of the foundation tournament.

For the All Blacks, their first Tri-Nations test in South Africa was at Newlands, where the visitors ground out a 29-18 victory and du Randt muttered about surrender as he was taken exhausted from the field.

A decade on and the All Blacks return to Newlands to begin their Tri-Nations campaign at the famous old ground, with du Randt still hanging round the Bok squad.

His longevity is a remarkable tale for someone who operates in the front-row combat zone, and even more astonishing given the way the game has changed since the Tri-Nations began.

But for all the alterations, one fact remains. Winning on foreign soil is the key to taking the title and the All Blacks have been more successful than their annual foes.

The All Blacks have won five titles compared with two each by the current champions, South Africa, and Australia.

The All Blacks have lost eight games overseas (three in South Africa and five in Australia), while the Springboks have lost 15 on the road and the Wallabies 14.

In an initial Tri-Nations tilt last season for new coach Graham Henry and Co, the All Blacks lost both overseas tests, with the panel later admitting they had overtrained their squad as they looked to impart their knowledge.

This year, after the superb series whitewash of the Lions, the All Blacks have had a decent rest.

Now it is a question of how they will regroup and what their rivals can offer in this series before the Tri-Nations is expanded next season.

The Springboks will be at home at Newlands, but it's their third successive weekend of test rugby, with the jury out on whether that is a help or a hindrance. They will be battle-hardened, but may not be fresh.

There will also be mixed views about the All Blacks' schedule, which has them preparing all week in Durban, apparently because of better facilities and privacy, before flying to Cape Town for the opening international. It was that sort of obsessive policy which was criticised during the failed 2003 World Cup crusade.

LAST week, the Wallabies adopted a similar strategy, training in Cape Town before flying to Johannesburg, where they were well beaten.

They have repeated that concept before returning for their Tri-Nations start on Sunday at Pretoria.

If anything, the Wallabies have been exposed for some depth in numbers compared with their rivals. Injuries and the series slog could take its toll on the Wallabies, although they have regularly eclipsed the All Blacks at Sydney in Tri-Nations, extra Bledisloe Cup and World Cup matches in the last seven years.

Meanwhile, the All Blacks, through injury and choice, have built their resources. They used 29 players in the opening section of the season against Fiji and the Lions, and have added Joe Rokocoko, Piri Weepu and John Afoa for the trip to Cape Town and Sydney.

Springbok coach Jake White has made similar changes and experiments within his extended squad, while Wallaby coach Eddie Jones has either not had that luxury in numbers or trust in his options.

But in Jeremy Paul, George Smith, Nathan Sharpe, David Lyons, Gregan, Stephen Larkham, Matt Giteau, Stirling Mortlock, Lote Tuqiri and Co, the Wallabies have match-winners all across the park.

WHILE victory in the Lions series created a warm glow about the All Blacks' style and substance, it must be tempered by the disappointing quality of the opposition.

This Tri-Nations series should offer a better gauge about some players' ability to take the pressure of top-notch rugby.

Away from the comfort of home and the safety of their own surroundings, who delivers and who quivers? Straight into that question come players such as Byron Kelleher, Sione Lauaki, Ali Williams and Rokocoko.

It will also be a test of the coaching staff, who accepted that their charges did not react swiftly enough last year to counter the rush defence of the Springboks, and who could not breach the Wallabies in Sydney or contain their loose forwards.

The All Blacks cemented their setpiece against the Lions and have grafted a clever kicking game through Daniel Carter and Aaron Mauger to their athletic and support skills, threatening any defence.

They should have the luxury of being able to reconsider Carl Hayman, Richie McCaw, Carter, Mauger and Leon MacDonald, who all missed the last test against the Lions because of injury.

But can the All Blacks win the Tri-Nations? Will the month away from the test arena remove some of the edge to their play at Cape Town? Will they be over-anxious or at ease after their enforced rest?

It is a matter of being able to roll out their skills on the day. There will be times when their patterns and plans do not gel, when the opposition happen to be better, when refereeing decisions do not go their way, or yellow cards have an impact.

Will that be Newlands or Sydney?