1 - Talent: Some of the more experienced heads in the All Black line-up - Dan Carter, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Mils Muilana, Andrew Hore - showed enough class and form in Sydney to suggest we have the firepower to beat this Wallabies side if we convert that individual effort to a team effort and play smarter (or least not brain dead) football.

2 - Setpieces: Even with the loss of the likes of Hayman, Oliver and Jack, our scrum is still one that the rest of the rugby world would kill for. We won two tightheads last Saturday. And our much maligned lineout for the most part performed adequately, which is enough. So put away the razor blades there.

3 - Possession: The All Blacks had more than 60 per cent of it last Saturday, 70 per cent in the first half. If they actually hold onto the ball this time, they will be a step ahead. Just eliminating little mistakes could make a huge difference. (We’ve already eliminated one BIG mistake with Lauaki off to rugby Siberia, of which more below).

4 - Game plans: We have learnt from the experience of Sydney. Unless Henry, Hansen and Smith have a death wish or aspire to coach the Canes, surely they will not make the mistake of playing into the Wallabies' hands by adopting a sevens-style approach of running it from everywhere and under-committing to the breakdown.

5 - Key Men Return: We have back the elite services of Richie McCaw and Leon Macdonald - McCaw for his experience, his leadership, his tactical nous and his ability to snaffle ball at the breakdown. The ever smart Macdonald will add a much needed second boot, so we are not forever trying to run it from our 22. This can’t hurt.

6 – The Right Men in the Right Place: The pointless tinkering appears to be over for now - Rodney So’oialo is back in his rightful place at the back of the scrum, Conrad Smith is back at centre and the pugnacious Piri Weepu is back from Weight Watchers. He’ll at least provide a bit of ‘don’t argue’ around the paddock.
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7 - Opposition Fatigue: This is the Wallabies' third tough test on the trot and they are coming off a high. We saw what happened to the Boks in Perth when, after two brutal encounters in NZ for one loss and one come-from-behind victory, they ran out off puff against an up-for-it Wallabies side. The ever-wily Robbie Deans will be counselling his players against complacency, but human nature (or is it a vain hope?) suggests they will struggle to perform at the same level they did in Sydney.

8 - Home Advantage: For a team sponsored by an airline, the Qantas Wallabies' away record is not a proud one. They have a reputation for pleasing the crowds and sponsors at home, but often fail to follow through when they leave the security of Sydney and Brisbane. And there may be just a few more Kiwi supporters at Eden Park than at ANZ stadium. Let’s hope they’re good and noisy. Bugger the jolly swagmen and their putrid billabongs.

9 - The Lauaki Factor: The Wallabies' man of the match in Sydney, Sione Lauaki, will not be playing this Saturday. There’s about 15 points alone in our favour. The Australians already are building a monument at ANZ stadium in his memory.

10 - Motive: That our backs are to the wall is a virtue, or it should be. If we lose this one, the Tri-Nations is gone, the Bledisloe will be all but gone and Henry, Hansen and Smith will be perusing the Situations Vacant on Sunday. We have already lost a 10-year unbeaten-at-home record to the Springboks this competition and broken a 30-day home winning streak. Do we now really want to let the Wallabies break a 22-year drought of winning at Eden Park? If this is not incentive to win, I don't know what is.

And the supplementary reason to be cheerful…

Belief:  Despite all the doom and gloom in the media, which feeds on that stuff, this All Black side still has three or four players that would walk into a World 15. They showed just a month ago against the Boks in Wellington that they can play a muscular-but-smart, high-octane and highly skilled game. They fell off the pace in Dunedin with a lapse of concentration towards the end, while the problems in Sydney were compounded by a disrupted loose forward combination, a duff game plan, dumb substitutions and a Wallaby team who appeared to want victory more.

The All Blacks must believe they can win this return match at Eden Park. They have the talent, they have the set piece strength, they have home advantage, they have their key men returning and in the right positions, and they have a point to make. If they minimise their errors, convert opportunities with strong support play, vary their play, contest rucks, and put the Wallabies under intense pressure at the breakdown (as Australia did to them in Sydney), they should win. They MUST win.

So put the razor blades on ice, at least until next week.