Rugby: Retaining Bledisloe Cup all the matters for now insists Richie McCaw

The shortened Tri-Nations means the Bledisloe Cup has been reduced to just two games this season, with victory for the All Blacks ensuring they retain the trophy, that signifies trans-Tasman supremacy, which they have held since 2003.

"From our point of view it's our last game in New Zealand before the World Cup starts and we want to have a good experience of this ground and have a good experience in that we know what we're doing is right," McCaw told reporters after his team's final training run yesterday. "It's all about Saturday. Once you get past that, whatever happens there is another game and then we get to the tournament. But as a rugby player you can't get ahead of yourself and the Bleidisloe is on the line and that's all there is to it."

The Tri-Nations clash at Eden Park is also being tipped as a potential World Cup final on the same ground on 23 October, though McCaw said he was keen to ensure his side did not get too far ahead of themselves. "I suppose there is a little bit of that, but history shows that what happens here won't have any impact on what happens down the track," he said. "We have to make sure we perform well this weekend. If we get things right, come October if that plays out like that (and the two sides meet in the final), then it might help then but we have to make sure that we get it right here for a big test."

McCaw said he expected both sides would be keen to use the ball and that it was imperative the All Blacks did not allow the potent Wallabies backline too much space from broken play or first phase. "They have certainly shown against the South Africans two weeks (ago) that (when) they were given a crack they scored and then they scored straight away again and they're a team that can do that to you. So we have to make sure that we don't give them their chances."

Australia scrumhalf Will Genia, however, said his side had been concentrating on ensuring they put in an 80-minute performance.

The Wallabies eased off the throttle after they raced to a 39-6 lead against the Springboks in Sydney two weeks ago, allowing two late tries in their 39-20 victory. "We spoke about playing consistently well throughout the whole match, having lapses of concentration where you give them free points. They (New Zealand) are a side that very rarely have lapses and you can see that by the fact they didn't get many points scored against them, I think only seven," Genia said of the All Blacks' 40-7 win in Wellington against South Africa last week. "We will have to play well and play well right the way through."

Genia said it was also important that the Wallabies did not give away possession cheaply and allow the All Blacks to run it back at them."They score a lot of their points from unstructured play and if you give them free rein they've got quality players who can construct something from nothing," he added.

New Zealand

15 Muliaina

14 Sivivatu

13 Smith

12 Nonu

11 Gear

10 Carter

9 Weepu

1 Crockett

2 Mealamu

3 O Franks

4 Thorn

5 A Williams

6 Kaino

8 Read

7 McCaw (capt)

Subs

16 Hore

17 B Franks

18 Whitelock

19 Thomson

20 Ellis

21 Slade

22 SB Williams

Australia

15 Beale

14 O'Connor

13 Ashley-Cooper

12 McCabe

11 Ioane

10 Q Cooper

9 Genia

1 Kepu

2 Moore

3 Alexander

4 Simmons

5 Horwill

6 Elsom (capt)

8 McCalman

7 Pocock

Subs

16 S Faingaa

17 Cowan

18 Vickerman

19 Higginbotham

20 Burgess

21 A Faingaa

22 Turner