Tri-Nations: New Zealand

Friday 04th July 2008 | www.planet-rugby.com

With the Tri-Nations set to kick-off in Wellington this weekend we are bringing you our unique team-by-team guide. This time it's New Zealand...

Last year: In a tournament where away wins are so paramount, New Zealand essentially had the tournament wrapped up by the second week when a late surge claimed a 26-21 win over South Africa in Durban. This was the team that was set to go on and win the World Cup, and their win in Durban underlined their apparent global superiority - the Boks were the only team thought capable of challenging them. The long return trip to Australia proved too much for the squad to handle and the All Blacks succumbed to a 20-15 defeat, running out of steam late in the game. But both home games were won comfortably, along with the tournament, in July.

This year: With so many of last year's squad moved on to other, more northerly, things, you'd be forgiven for expecting a lean period from the All Blacks. Think again. The new All Blacks put down a spirited Irish challenge before romping home in back-to-back wins over the English in June, and those two wins were marked by several tries in the limited space afforded by the old rules. The thought of what the new All Blacks might do under the new rules is a little disconcerting for those who would take their crown. It's tricky to see the outsized Tri-Nations trophy going anywhere this year.

Captain: Richie McCaw was one of the hardy few not to stuff his wallet after the World Cup, and underlined his commitment to the All Black cause with a pair of truly magnificent performances against Ireland and England. A leader by example in the Johnson mould, he will be sorely missed during the first half of the tournament. Step up Rodney So'oialo, who leads the Hurricanes with the same quiet determination that McCaw shows, and now has his chance to add to his world reputation. A ringing endorsement from John Smit on the eve of the Wellington Test, in response to criticism from Corne Krige, is proof enough of the respect the rugby world holds for him.

Coach: Graham Henry survived the post World Cup fallout, despite the endless clamour for Robbie Deans and the obvious errors he made during 2007, and despite going through a rigorous re-application process. He appears thus to have out-smarted every one of his detractors since the defeat to France, having spent most of the four previous years out-smarting his opponents. Now comes his stiffest test yet, bringing through a new generation, finding the right mix to exploit the new rules, and facing off against the man most of New Zealand wanted to replace him. What a fabulous sub-plot that will be!

Key man: Dan Carter is so good that he becomes the first player to have a national union engineer a new type of contract so as to retain his services and allow him to make his million. Genius! As if he wasn't good enough at finding extra space anyway, he can now show off his talents with five extra metres at scrums and line-outs. Yikes!

Rising star: Adam Thomson announced his international presence to us with three distinct pieces of flawless positional play during his full debut against England a fortnight ago, in the midst of what was generally an excellent all-round display. A former sevens player, the flanker is possessed of plenty of pace and power, but over the next eight weeks it will be his game-play intelligence that will make him stand out from the crowd.

Squad: Adam Thomson, Ali Williams, Andrew Hore, Anthony Boric, Brad Thorn, Greg Somerville, Jerome Kaino, John Afoa, John Schwalger, Keven Mealamu, Neemia Tialata, Richie McCaw, Rodney So'oialo, Sione Lauaki, Tony Woodcock, Andrew Ellis, Anthony Tuitavake, Conrad Smith, Dan Carter, Jimmy Cowan, Leon MacDonald, Ma'a Nonu, Malili Muliaina, Richard Kahui, Rudi Wulf, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Stephen Donald.