Front row cautious of Wallaby pack backlash

Keven Mealamu

It might end up a rugby video nasty when the front rows square off in the Tri-Nations decider at Eden Park tomorrow night.

When the All Blacks tackled Australia in Sydney three weeks ago, Carl Hayman, Keven Mealamu and Tony Woodcock dominated their Wallaby counterparts.

They will be expected to make another uncomfortable night for an Australian trio with more shakes than a Skid Row veteran. But that's not necessarily the way the three in black see the challenge of Al Baxter, Brendon Cannon and Bill Young.

There is respect for Australian resilience. Quite right, too, as they've been bitten before. So whatever their private thoughts, they're certainly not going to voice their confidence ahead of the kickoff.

"I know the Australian side always come up best when their backs are to the wall," pocket battleship Mealamu said, no doubt remembering the World Cup semifinal in Sydney in November 2003 when the All Blacks were the hottest of favourites and came unstuck.

North Harbour loosehead Woodcock is sure their opponents will have the desire to prove themselves and put memories of an ordinary scrummaging winter behind them.

"They'll be quite determined to turn it," Woodcock said."It often comes down to individual attitudes within a scrum. Knowing that they might have had a wee bit of a hard time the last time we played them will make them more committed to it, I suppose."

Woodcock, an ever-present in the All Black front row for the past nine tests, praised scrummaging coach Mike Cron for the quality of their work at the set-piece.

The reputation is growing that this is a pack with the capacity to consistently dominate at the scrum.

"It is a goal we've got within ourselves to be the best scrum, and I think we're slowly getting there," Woodcock said.

Bearlike tighthead Hayman and Mealamu back the view of their captain, Tana Umaga, when he suggested "something special" is brewing within the squad.

Having dispatched the Lions and with the Tri-Nations title 80 minutes away, there is a growing belief within the squad that the planks are in place for a serious tilt at the World Cup in 2007.

Hayman cautioned against getting too excited yet, but spoke of a good vibe within the camp.

Winning the Tri-Nations will be immensely satisfying considering many of the players and the coaching staff remain from last year's frustrating campaign.

"To win this weekend and have the Tri-Nations title in the bag would be a great achievement on the way to where this team wants to go further down the track," Hayman said.

"You've got a core of guys here who round that time [2007] are going to be in their prime. How that goes between now and then is a different story, but there is potential to possibly be one of the great teams the All Blacks have had."

Mealamu backed Hayman, pointing out there are no cliques within the larger group.

He felt there had been an element of that when he first cracked the All Blacks in 2002.

"The Auckland guys don't all hang around with each other, or the Canterbury guys. We all get on well, and the way we act off the field is transferring on to the field.

"A few of us from different provinces have played together a bit now, and there's trust and camaraderie."