KEY POINTS:
Without the voluble scrap between rival coaches Graham Henry and Bernard Laporte, the preface to tonight's test would have been as lame as the opening Eden Park skirmish.
But if the words detonate a fiery French response at Westpac Stadium then Henry will have produced one of his birthday wishes that his All Black side receive a decent workout.
Otherwise, another damage limitation retort from the French and a practice romp next week against Canada will be classified as no more than workouts. That may suit Henry as a prelude to the Tri-Nations but you suspect he wants more after the truncated Super 14 work for his top team.
The coach tried to distance himself yesterday from any personal slight on the French in his critique about understrength sides touring the Southern Hemisphere, the go-slow saga of scrum resets, injuries and a damaging player exodus to Europe.
Laporte had accused Henry of selective and ill-informed preaching because of his team's success. All his coaching panel had chosen lucrative employment deals in Europe, sides from the North did not have the depth the All Blacks enjoyed and there were no go-slow tactics for Eden Park.
That final accusation had angered Laporte's players. The response tonight will be as intriguing as the All Blacks reaction.
"I was making a general statement about the game," Henry said yesterday. "Bernard has taken it on board and probably over-analysed what I have said.
"I think the game has deteriorated over the last couple of years and the number of reset scrums, the time it takes for people to make decisions, a lot of injuries and you question whether some of those are genuine and I think that is a bad trend in the game and there were some examples in the last test that may have been the case.
"I don't think that is the right way the game should be going and that is why I made the statement."
If those trends were not reversed, rugby would be poorer.
"Bernard has obviously taken that personally, which is fine, but it wasn't aimed at him and the French team in particular, it was aimed at the game. But there we are."
Henry is splitting follicles but if France up their tempo and test the All Blacks more, the coach's sniping will have worked.
Captain Richie McCaw and halfback Byron Kelleher play their 50th tests today in what looks suspiciously like the best All Black XV. Only the injury absences of Mils Muliaina, Daniel Carter and a rest for Keven Mealamu have nipped at this selection which is being set for the opening Tri-Nations test against the Springboks in Durban.
In midfield, Luke McAlister has the opportunity to consolidate the Blues' partnership he had with Isaia Toeava and, at the same time, nudge Aaron Mauger into the reserves.
The weather forecast is tipped to be kind, the French have recovered from their travel and the All Blacks need to move up a gear from Eden Park.
It is a stage for five-eighths Nick Evans to strengthen the impact he made in half a game at Eden Park.
Evans played well last week, Henry said. He had trained well and had shown, when he was not injured, in several cameos for the All Blacks what a competent player he was.
He had challenges in his own game, like every player, tonight was another chance.
There will be others, like the ability of the scrum to keep square, the work on the lineout drive, the side's need to go forward early rather than the drifting attack they produced at Eden Park.
* Neemia Tialata has extended his contract with the New Zealand Rugby Union until 2011. The 24-year-old said: "I've got unfinished business with Wellington and the Hurricanes," said Tialata, "and I'd like to be a starting prop for the All Blacks."
NEW ZEALAND vs FRANCE
Wellington, tonight 7.35
NEW ZEALAND
15. Leon MacDonald
14. Joe Rokocoko
13. Isaia Toeava
12. Luke McAlister
11. Sitiveni Sivivatu
10. Nick Evans
9. Byron Kelleher
8. Rodney So'oialo
7. Richie McCaw (c)
6. Jerry Collins
5. Ali Williams
4. Keith Robinson
3. Carl Hayman
2. Anton Oliver
1. Tony Woodcock
Reserves: Doug Howlett, Ma'a Nonu, Brendon Leonard, Chris Masoe, Chris Jack, Neemia Tialata, Keven Mealamu.
FRANCE
15. T Castaignede
14. Julien Laharrague
13. Arnaud Mignardi
12. Lionel Mazars
11. J Coux
10. Benjamin Boyet
9. Nicolas Durand
8. Sebastien Chabal
7. Oliver Magne
6. Damien Chouly
5. Julien Pierre
4. Pascal Pape (c)
3. Olivier Surgens
2. Sebastien Bruno
1. Christian Califano
Reserves: Raphael Ibanez, Nicolas Mas, Olivier Olibeau, Fulgence Ouedraogo, Michael Forest, Nicolas Laharrague, Benjamin Thiery.
- Additional reporting NZPA
