All Blacks aiming to pass Test of strength

RUGBY/TRI-NATIONS: New Zealand rugby has been bristling since 1998 over its failure to wrest the Bledisloe Cup from world champions Australia. So the All Blacks view tomorrow's return Tri-Nations Test with the Wallabies at Sydney's Olympic Stadium as their best chance for some time to seize back trans-Tasman rugby supremacy.

Since Australia's 3-0 sweep of the 1998 series to claim the Bledisloe Cup after a run of seven losses over three years, the All Blacks have been frustrated in their attempts to beat the Wallabies.

The series have been cut back to two matches to slot into the Tri-Nations schedule with South Africa, and the Wallabies have twice shared the Bledisloe Cup series and won both of last year's Tests, some with last-gasp efforts.

The All Blacks are in pole position after their gritty 12-6 victory over Australia in wet and windy Christchurch on July 13th and if they can come away with victory tomorrow, the Bledisloe Cup will be theirs again.

New Zealand have nine points in the Tri-Nations, Australia six and South Africa one. The All Blacks and Wallabies still have to play in South Africa.

The All Blacks have regrouped under coach John Mitchell and are again back to the menacing form which had them ruling world rugby last decade. Scrumhalf Justin Marshall says the All Blacks now have the self-belief to wrest back the Bledisloe Cup and Tri-Nations trophy from Australia.

"I feel there was a lot more resolve, given how in the last couple of years Australia have managed to get us in the last quarter of the game, especially in the last two or three minutes," Marshall said this week. "There has been a real determination that we aren't going to let that happen to us again."

Tana Umaga replaces Mark Robinson in the centre while winger Jonah Lomu has been left out of the team altogether. Lock Norm Maxwell has failed to beat injury and has also been left out while hooker Mark Hammett, who is battling injury may be replaced with Tom Willis.

Lomu's lack of versatility has prompted the inclusion of utility Leon MacDonald, who suffered a horrific clash of heads in New Zealand's 68-18 win over Fiji on June 29th which kept him out of the first two Tri-Nations games. He can cover most positions in the back line and adds further depth to New Zealand's goal-kicking resources.

Australia are looking forward to a firm, dry surface to turn the tables on the All Blacks after having to cope with freezing wet playing conditions in Christchurch.

Outhalf Andrew Mehrtens, an influential figure with his tactical kicking last time, is within 10 points of two significant career milestones.

Mehrtens, who will play his 62nd Test, will become the first player to score 200 career Test points against one country should he register double figures in the game. Ten more points would also make Mehrtens the first player to hoist 300 career points in Tri-Nations matches.

Utility back Mat Rogers has been declared fit to play after sustaining a calf injury in training earlier in the week. The former rugby league international will take his place among the replacements in an unchanged line-up to the one which beat South Africa 38-27 in Brisbane last Saturday.

"I don't think we've mentioned the Cup once or mentioned the Tri-Nations," Australian coach Eddie Jones said yesterday.

"It's more about performing well, if we perform well, then hopefully the result will follow."

Former Australian skipper John Eales rates the Wallaby forward pack superior to the one that mastered New Zealand to win the Bledisloe Cup last year.

Eales led Australia to a thrilling 29-26 win over the All Blacks in Sydney last year, when number eight Toutai Kefu crashed over for a try in the final minute. The win ensured a fitting farewell for the retiring skipper, and gave Australia the Bledisloe Cup and Tri-Nations title.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand Rugby Football Union board will be told, rather than asked, to resign over the failed bid to co-host the World Cup when the chairmen of the 27 provincial unions gather in Wellington next week.

With eight unions having already called for the board's resignation and neither the board nor NZRFU paid staff welcome at Tuesday's gathering the vultures are circling. The unions have organised an as yet unnamed independent facilitator to run the meeting.

Otago chairman Colin Weatherall told the Otago Daily Times an acceptable option would be for a mass resignation with that to take effect a month later. An election would be held the next day. Weatherall noted that would allow a "continuity of decision making in the interim".

"As long as this meets the basic constitutional requirements it would be a simple and clear way forward with all of us working towards the same outcome," Weatherall said.

While the powerful Otago, Canterbury and Waikato unions are leading the charge for a new broom, Auckland and Wellington are also pushing for changes in governance procedures.

New chairman Rob Fisher was quoted yesterday as saying he sees no problem with the board resigning if that is want the provincial unions want.

"I made the point last week that the board were not power crazed people wanting to hang on. If the provinces want the board to resign I can't see that as being a problem," Fisher said.

AUSTRALIA: C Latham; B Tune, M Burke, D Herbert, S Mortlock; S Larkham, G Gregan (captain); T Kefu, G Smith, O Finegan, J Harrison, N Sharpe, P Noriega, J Paul, B Young. Reserves: B Cannon, B Darwin, M Cockbain, D Lyons, C Whitaker, E Flatley, M Rogers, D Croft.

NEW ZEALAND: C Cullen; D Howlett, T Umaga, A Mauger, C Ralph; A Mehrtens, J Marshall; S Robertson, R McCaw, R Thorne (captain), C Jack, S Maling, G Somerville, M Hammett or T Willis, D Hewett. Reserves: Willis or A Hore, J McDonnell, M Holah, S Broomhall, B Kelleher, D Gibson, L MacDonald.

Referee: Andre Watson (RSA).