Umaga wants job finished

New Zealand rugby's past, present and future will collide at a frozen Murrayfield this afternoon but the All Black captain Tana Umaga refuses to be distracted. If others wish to start cooing about historic grand slams, blizzards or the latest Kiwi wonder kid, Isaia Toeava, they can do so out of earshot.

Umaga simply wants his team to "finish the job" and leave the historians to do their worst.

There is certainly no hint of the complacency that has doused the grand slam ambitions of previous visiting sides in the nearby Water of Leith. Not only is Graham Henry aware of what befell England in 1990 and 2000 but, as coach of Wales, his first experience of Five Nations rugby was watching Scotland's Kiwi centre John Leslie score a try inside nine seconds.

This All Black side may be youthful but they have been forewarned.

The squad are also treating with a hefty pinch of road salt the bizarre tales of past All Black slip-ups, not least in 1964 when Scotland contrived to hold the grand slam-chasing tourists to a 0-0 draw in the final game.

"I'm sure 100,000 people went home very happy but I'll have a wager with you it won't be nil-nil this weekend," chuckled Henry. No one rushed to take him up on his generous offer, preferring to stick their mortgages on New Zealand completing only their second grand slam tour of Britain and Ireland in 100 years.

Henry said: "The weather has been bad with the snow, but I have been talking to the Scottish coach and some of the players and they want it fine and dry. They are playing a running style of football which is good to see, so I think both sides would like a good track to play on, though that may not be possible."

The most obvious measure of the All Blacks' confidence is the 13 changes made to the team that beat England 23-19, including the introduction of the 19-year-old Toeava after just one NPC start for Auckland.

There was a priceless moment in midweek when the Samoan-born prodigy, who moved to New Zealand at the age of eight, was asked how he felt about being hailed as a cross between Christian Cullen and Waisale Serevi. If he can evade that sort of outrageous hype, he can evade anything.

However, even his captain reckons the comparison is valid and advises the Scots to watch out for the shooting star at number 15.

"I don't think he's been tainted by professionalism, if you know what I mean," said Umaga, referring to the instinctive running and sidestepping that have made Toeava's name at under-19 level. "He's been a breath of fresh air on this trip."

By the sound of it, Scotland will be left clutching fresh air if they do not make the same physical impact up front that England achieved last weekend.

The Scottish backs are seeking to be more adventurous but the assistant home coach Sean Lineen acknowledges the kitchen sink will have to be thrown at his Kiwi compatriots from the outset.

"The way the All Blacks have been playing is fantastic but England showed that they are not invincible. You can either go and hide and become a passenger or you can say 'right, let's see how good I am'."

This New Zealand squad, though, have weathered every storm this month and Scotland will be doing well if they limit the All Blacks to 40 points and manage 20 themselves.

Richie McCaw, back at openside flanker after missing the England game, also warns the Scots not to rely on frostbitten Kiwi errors: "The last game of a tour can be tough to get up for, but it would be awful to go into the summer having not performed in the final game of what's been not a bad year."

Not a bad year? Heaven preserve us if New Zealand ever have a good one.

Guardian Service