But before we move onto these 'real' tests, isn't it sad that we now have a rugby 'traditionalist' like myself rating some internationals over and above others.  Every test match is a real test match, or should be thought of as such.  But if someone like me has fallen into thinking the early tests are less important than the Tri Series tests, than what chance new fans?  Has the day of the international 'friendly' finally arrived, we just don't know it yet?

I certainly hope not, but the early season tests do have a pseudo trial look about them in this day and age.  That though is a sign of the times as much as anything - with an almost exclusive diet of tests for international players, you can no longer test out new boys on tours with midweek games.  Thus, early season tests before the Tri Series become those 'mid-week' games, and we check the standard of the new players.  A sad reality.  The fact that we have, in my lifetime, never lost to Wales, and in anyone's to Ireland also makes these tests forgone conclusions.  I don't think I have ever in a pre test weekend against the likes of Wales, Ireland or Scotland been the least bit edgy - we always beat these blokes, always have, always will, it's what we do (until one day when we don't, but we won't even think about that).

Anyway, justification for my slack attitude aside, the real tests.  At the moment, sorry to say, that is just the Boers.  The Aussies are in disarray.  And while they will never, ever be easy beats for the men in black, at the moment, they should be put away comfortably - and I expect that, it should be three zip, taking the streak against the Aussies to what - ten or eleven, and Robbie Deans thinking even more that his career choice might not have been as wise as he once thought. 

The Boers.  One of only two teams in world rugby that you go into test week not knowing what is going to happen.  The other is those damn Frenchies - even when you have beaten them twenty times in a row, you don't know what is going to happen in the twenty first game.  They don't know either, they are just so damn frustrating and, well, French!  We don't play those buggers though, in the Tri Nations, just those damn Boers, the ones currently on a three match winning streak against the men in black.

Right, so in six days it starts, no prisoners, no surrender, no backward steps.  Do or die - it is cliché city, but bottom line (they just keep coming), it is time to stand up and be counted (yet another) and book your place in the All Black World Cup squad for 2011.  Test one of the Tri Series, Eden Park, Olde Foe.

Pessimistic or optimistic about our chances?  I am surprisingly optimistic.  For a few reasons, one of course being that I am a blind fool, and will always pick the All Blacks to win - in 1998 during the five game losing streak I was backing the men in black every match.  But things are a little different 12 years later (wow, time does fly).  The first reason, or first two reasons that I am more confident about our chances against the Steroid Brutes, come thanks to jersey number ten.  One, we have Dan Carter filling it, and part two, we don't have Stephen Donald filling it. With the world's best ten back on the paddock, it transforms the entire All Black backline, from a bunch of decent players to a potentially world shattering combinations - with threats from 10 through to 15 to look after.

Sure there are a few other players missing due to injury - the likes of Sivivatu, Ali Williams, and Andrew Hore, but all teams are missing world class players, so that evens itself out across the board, and while the 'if only we had' factor will come into play after the games, before them, you play with what you have, damn the torpedoes!

Optimistic too about our lineout chances.  Gone is the midweek wonder boy Issac Ross (I would hate to look back at what I wrote about him after last seasons early tests, but I expect it would have been along the lines of expecting to see him in line for a long All Black career.  I don't think I would have been calling he would not even be making the touring squad to South Africa with the Crusaders, but I digress).  Gone is Ross, and back into the mix is Anthony Boric, and more to my liking, Tom Donnelly.  Donnelly has played a lot of rugby, and has a lot of miles on the clock at first class level.  When he was called into the final Tri Series match of the season against the Aussies, he slotted into test rugby as if he was born to it.  He followed up with a top tour at the end of the year to Pommyland, and is yet to taste defeat in all black.  What I am saying, is that there are now some men in the line up who will be up to the battle against the worlds best second row - Matfield and Botha.  The 'hardening' of the personal, and the simplification of the calls (no more barn dances before the ball is thrown, quick and simple) give me great hope. 

Scrum time - well, the All blacks had their moments against the Taffs and Paddies, both of dominance, and getting drilled.  However, when you had Woodcock in the one, and Franks the younger in the three shirt, the opposition did not get much change for their efforts.  Tialata though, was shown up for the lazy bugger that he is, and Franks, Ben, still has his training wheels on, but I think he is not far off being a decent test prop.  While he may get battered and bent, he won't back down an inch, and that is half the battle for being a prop - being beaten, but being to stubborn to give up, and if you don't give up, in the end, you will win.  The Boer scrum is not a scary thing at any rate, there is no real 'scary' scrum in world rugby at the moment - something that the All Blacks need to work on - having the scrum to be feared heading into the World Cup next season would be nice.  We can start this weekend by drilling the Boers.

Another reason for the optimism is that kickathon is over.  The Boers won the wars last season because their kicking game was by far and away the best in town.  No one wanted to counter attack as they would lose the ball, or give away a penalty, and three points for free.  Now though, with the refs being harsher on forward movement from players in front of the kicker, and the tackler having to give the ball carrier a chance to play the ball, the counter attack is back baby, and the All Blacks have embraced it better than most.  That is where we are going to hurt people and win test matches.

 Bottom line, if we can gain parity at the set pieces, play at the right end of the field, and counter accurately, the All Blacks will win this weekend.