Wynne Gray: Kieran Read under pressure in milestone match

All Blacks captain Kieran Read. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Six men before Kieran Read have made it to the 100 All Black test milestone.

That graduation started with Richie McCaw at the 2011 World Cup, then Mils Muliaina a fortnight later before Keven Mealamu, Tony Woodcock, Daniel Carter and then Ma'a Nonu at the 2015 tournament added their names to the honour roll.

Read joins that elite group on an occasion which is baking in more pressure than the landmark matches reached by his fellow record-holders.

The strain for McCaw and Muliaina was to overcome injuries in World Cup pool games, Mealamu and his mates blinked to an away draw against the Wallabies in 2012, Woodcock made amends against the same mob a year later, Carter lost his battle to an Achilles tendon injury rather than England in 2013 and Nonu squared off against Tonga in the offshore World Cup.

They all dealt with broader inquiries about their careers to satisfy the expanding demands and shape of global media outlets, sponsors and team commitments but could do that without any escalating throb about their landmark appearance.

That pulsing thump has followed Read and the All Blacks since they jetted out of Wellington and into the seven-day gap before tonight's chance at redemption. The modern mantra is about embracing and walking with that pressure, although some spoke about being ready and wanting to play midweek.

Backline changes have been forced through injury and suspension but the messages from Steve Hansen and his coaching crew will be about trusting what they discussed before the series and working more efficiently on those ideas when the strain is greatest.

Read will steer that course tonight on an Eden Park ground which has changed significantly since he first watched the All Blacks as a 12-year-old before captaining them for the first time four years ago at the same stadium.

He graduated to the national playing ranks on the tour to Europe in 2008, when it seemed his Super Rugby form would promote him to the earlier season contests with the touring Ireland and England sides, then the Rugby Championship.

Instead, he made his debut as the blindside flanker against Scotland, taking over from the current incumbent Jerome Kaino.

A group from that tour still play top level rugby in New Zealand and overseas but Read and Kaino are the only test players, with Read moving to No 8 regularly for the All Blacks from 2010. He overcame an ankle ligament injury to play in the latter stages of the 2011 World Cup and was at the forefront of the All Blacks' repeat triumph in 2015.

Wrist surgery delayed his start this year and he'd played only a few matches before he broke his thumb, which meant surgery and two months without a game before the start of the Lions series. A fortnight ago, when he returned at Eden Park, Read was in strong form and played more minutes than everyone expected to cover damage to his teammates.

At the Cake Tin, they all battled against a combative Lions side on a night of enduring All Black frustration. That's the snapshot Read and the All Blacks must reverse to win the series and sustain the unbeaten photographs in the All Black ton-club album.