All Blacks: Footy to get blood pumping

Mils Muliaina. Photo / Sarah Ivey

All Blacks v Springboks. New Zealand against South Africa. Do the pulses quicken quite as much about duels between the superpowers as they did for those who watched the epic series in New Zealand in 1937, 1956 and 1981?

Perhaps they do, but in a much different way from those infrequent visits of the Boks. Since the arrival of professional rugby in 1996, the men from South Africa have played annual tests in New Zealand.

We have seen some extraordinary duels in that time in New Zealand, prefaced of course the year before by the controversy from that memorable World Cup shootout between the same sides. Morgan Freedman and his mates in Invictus have re-enacted that classic match and you wonder if there will be a sequel next year at Eden Park.

The stadium is only running at half capacity for tomorrow's test because of the reconstruction, but there are many who feel tomorrow's match will be a dress-rehearsal for next World Cup final. Wishful thinking perhaps, although on the evidence of the past few seasons, the Boks and the All Blacks are the best sides on the planet.

So this test should whet the appetite. They are two mature sides, teams with enormous experience.

Springbok skipper John Smit has been playing test rugby since 2000, Victor Matfield arrived the year after when All Black skipper Richie McCaw pulled on the famed black jersey in Ireland. The sides have played just two tests at Eden Park since the game went pro with the All Blacks triumphant on both occasions.

In 1997 Bok flanker Andre Venter was sent off by referee Derek Bevan soon after halftime and his side subsided 55-35. They were fair old teams then. The All Blacks had men like Christian Cullen, Frank Bunce, Zinzan Brooke, Sean Fitzpatrick and Olo Brown while the Boks fielded stars such as Mark Andrews, the late Reuben Kruger, Joost van der Westhuizen and James Small.

The second and last time the famous foes met at Eden Park was in 2001 when the All Blacks turned aside a torrent of criticism to triumph 26-15. It was a game more memorable for the result than the quality and it was only one more test before Wayne Smith's tenure as All Black coach ended.

Now the sides arrive for their third Eden Park international of the professional age. They are ranked first and second in the world with a fair jump on the chasing group led by Australia and France. The All Blacks hold the premier spot after completing an unbeaten end of year trip to Europe last year while the Boks stumbled on their visit north.

However, the Boks' three victories against the All Blacks last year in Bloemfontein, Durban and Hamilton still gnaws away at the All Blacks. They know their top rating looks a little tarnished against those results.

So they have gone for the tried and trusted. They have recalled the Conrad Smith/Ma'a Nonu midfield axis which has been in the garage this international season after injuries for both. Same in the pack where Tom Donnelly is retained after his injury comeback in Hamilton while Owen Franks was always a certainty to be set for this test.

Fullback Mils Muliaina, like Donnelly, is retained after a solitary test this season where his experience and direction would have given him the edge over the enterprising Israel Dagg. Muliaina is not at his sharpest but his guile, temperament and match savvy are huge weapons.

This test also conjures up the intrigue of the All Blacks' search for a winning rhythm under the guidance of Graham Henry while South Africa are more reliant on the player power of men such as Smith, Matfield, Schalk Burger, Jaque Fourie and Jean de Villiers. They have accumulated an enormous amount of international experience and want to impose that while letting coach Pieter de Villiers deal with other areas of the international coaching landscape. It is an amicable formula which has been working.

The Boks have picked an enormous side with backup from the bench.

They will look to upset the All Black lineout and punch the ball through midfield with Wynand Olivier or use Morne Steyn's boot for the aerial assault.

The hosts will sense some frontrow advantage but must be sharper than they have been while the All Blacks will fancy their chances of gaining some momentum if they can get their multi-phase play working strongly.

Without Fourie du Preez, the Boks have lost a huge part of their arsenal. His replacement Ricky Januarie is an experienced halfback.

After three wins in June, victories which did not stretch the All Blacks to breaking point, you can feel the tension surging already.

The top two international teams, the opening salvo of the Tri-Nations, a sneak preview of the World Cup - big time footy is about to hit Auckland.