KEY POINTS:
With a dead rubber and the Bledisloe Cup safely in All Black hands for another year you could be forgiven for thinking the test against the Wallabies in Hong Kong is a waste of time. I disagree for many reasons.
Firstly, there is the financial aspect. With the
NZRU apparently earning in the region of $2 million from this and the England test, it's really a no-brainer to play in Hong Kong - or anywhere else for that matter.
How successful this test is, both as a spectacle and a contest, may dictate the future of All Black tests at off-shore, neutral grounds.
The Asian factor can't be ignored with China (mainly through Hong Kong) and Japan being fertile markets for growth in the game. There is a lot of talk about heading to Asia to source sponsors and new markets for rugby.
Well the talk's over - let's hope the game matches the expectations.
Looking at the teams I see another titanic battle. Henry and company have picked the best pack available. Sure Greg Somerville could be at tighthead prop but with the injury to John Afoa, Neemia Tialata is the next best. He's played a fair bit at loosehead but I suspect his better position is tighthead.
I also wonder if this position will make Tialata play a bit tighter and use his undoubted strength in the tight stuff rather than hulking it around the track. In other words maybe not so showy - it'd also be nice if he could eliminate the silly penalties.
The rest of the forward pack are all class and have played together regularly this year - which will help significantly, given the short period for practice before this test.
Against this pack, which now has confidence at lineout, scrum and ruck, the Aussies have picked the best they can. Deans is keen to show the Wallabies are more than a hometown team and are capable of winning on the road.
In the likes of Mark Chisholm, the Wallaby coach has gone for mobility. But without the benefit of a provincial championship their pack lacks recent hard matchplay, so I suspect Deans has been working hard on team fitness with the aim of running the opposition off the park.
The Wallabies have been in training camps for the past few months and Deans will be confident of being better prepared than the All Blacks. Whether he has the raw talent and depth to complete will be tested.
The Stephen Donald-Dan Carter combination is not unexpected given what we saw in the last 30 minutes of the match in Brisbane. It gives Carter more space to work in.
In his first start in an All Black jersey, Donald will be tested to see if he has what it takes to handle the increased pace and pressure. With Jimmy Cowan and Carter he has quality to help him through. Placing Ma'a Nonu on the bench will give the Wellingtonian the chance to make an impact when required - which may become his role on this tour.
I get the impression Nonu is a real team man - sometimes these types cope better off the bench than more prima donna types.
Carter is class but I hope his recent layoff from top rugby doesn't affect him as in 2007 when niggling injuries appeared and lowered his class - time will tell.
Hosea Gear's form makes his selection easy. He will be playing on the opposite wing from normal but I expect him to revel at this level. With Conrad Smith and Mils Muliana around, Gear will have plenty of guidance.
I expect nothing less than a fast, aggressive - even explosive - test.
The Wallabies may have a slight edge going into the game and it will take all the experience of Tony Woodcock, Ali Williams, Andrew Hore, Brad Thorn and Richie McCaw to battle for a victory.
