Thank heavens that there is only one week between tests for the first two matches of the Tri Nations.  If not, I expect we would have seen war declared been the Republic of South Africa and New Zealand.  maybe not in the real world, but tensions certainly were raising on the forum - but no fouls, all fair in war and rugby...

However, all the bulldust is finished, the phoney war, the war of words, is over.  So we can focus forward, instead of backwards, at the Dunedin test in about 48 hours as I write this.

The Biltong Boys have not changed their well beaten forward pack, barring from the injury forced replacement of Smit, and in a stranger call, have dropped one of their best performers, Conrad Jantes.  His replacement though, has quite a decent pedigree, and 97 tests to his name, Percy Montgomery, so maybe fair enough.

But to not address their main problem, a forward pack with a tight five that looked like they thought rucks and mauls were too dark and scary to attend could be a mistake.  Although perhaps at the same time their maybe some logic there, as the tighties will be loving a second go which gives them a chance to redeem themselves. 

Two that really need to show their true colours are the the two locks.  Justly rated the best pairing in the world, they were awful in last weeks loss, and would be embarrassed about their performance.  Botha looked to be too busy thinking about where he was going to put in the next cheap shot, while Matfield just looked horribly unfit.  So an extra game under their belts, and Matfield's very first ELV game, means that we should see the real deal from the world best this week. 

The Bokke loosies also have plenty to prove, they were outplayed by an out of position All Black captain, and two rookies.  Expect better things from the Boers.  Still, I have no idea why they have not included, at least on the bench, the uber talented Spies and Kankowski.  So like the locking pair, plenty to prove for the trio, but I don't think they are the best the Boer can field.

The All Blacks have made two changes to their pack, the one forced by Thorn's ban, and the other just a selectors call.  John Afoa gets the nod over veteran prop Greg Somerville.  Afoa is fresh back from a knee injury from the Paddy test, where he was playing very well until crocked.  This test is really his big day - if he can anchor another dominant All Black scrum this week, he may just cement a starting spot long term.  Does this selection show that the Cartel are not really worried about

The other change, the forced one sees rookie lock Antony Boric replace Wrestlemania's latest signing Brad Thorn in the second row.  A huge ask for the youngster.  He is partnering New Zealand's world class lock Williams, so he has a top man beside him and a huge challenge in front of him with the Steroid Brutes Bakkes and Victor!!  A thought worth thinking, and cringing about, is a Williams injury early in the test match.  That would bring rookie Chiefs lock Kevin O'Neil onto the field, and give the All Blacks a second row with a sum total of 1 starting test cap (earned in this test by Boric), and two reserve starts (O'Neil coming on, and Boric's other cap).  So will the Boers be targeting Williams, of course not...

The All Black loose trio will be under pressure to repeat their performance from last week too.  The rookies Kaino and Thomson especially will have to back up their solid performances from last week to show that they were not just one off fluke games.  I don't think they were.  Kaino has arrived at the All Black test side after a four year wait, and is looking better and better there.  Just needs to work on his back of the scrum work with Ellis - as he has acknowledged.  Thomson, well, his dream continues - plucked from nowhere into the All Blacks, then the injury to McCaw, and the young man is starting test match rugby against South Africa.  Real Boys Own Annual stuff, but it does not seem to have phased him one bit.  Business as usual for the hard working flanker.

The two backlines performances will again rely on the men up front.  The All Blacks got the upper hand last week in Wellington, and Dan Carter ran the match.  The Bokke backline looked pretty toothless from set play, but showed their claws a few times in general play - Habana's try coming from next to nothing, but showing how dangerous the Bokke backs can be.

So another huge performance from the rookies up front for the All Blacks needed.  Boric (2), Thomson (3), Afoa (4), and Kaino (5), will need to be at their best this weekend, can they lift their game again two weeks in a row, or could it be a bridge too far?

The Boers will come out and play rugby this weekend, they tried to bash the All Blacks in to submission, and it did not work.  A far better idea would be to get out there and play rugby, and then we might see the All Blacks udner real pressure, and when you put inexperienced young blokes under pressure at test level, who knows what will happen.  It will be sink or swim.

Get out your water wings boys, test two about to start!!