Youth versus experience

Justin Marshall All Black scrum-half

Firstly as a side we're really looking forward to our Tri-Nations opener against Australia on Saturday. It's a huge game and an enormous challenge.

The atmosphere is always good going into a clash against the Wallabies, because you know that as a side they are going to play positive rugby.

Zinzan Brooke looks ahead to the opener

They certainly won't be going out there simply to shut us down and they always want to play their own game.

As it's the opening match of the tournament, there's so much to play for the pressure is certainly mounting.

Whilst we'll be playing for the Tri-Nations we're also aware we're playing for the Bledisloe Cup.

And if you look back at the past few years the games we've played against Australia have been pretty good, to say the least.

Australia have got the edge on us at the moment there's no doubt about that - but it only adds to the spice surrounding the occasion.

This could be the strongest side they have put out for two to three years.

Kefu back but Sailor dropped

Everyone is fit with Toutai Kefu, Jeremy Paul and Ben Darwin all included in the team this week.

It's good for them obviously, and makes our job a bit harder, but when you're playing a side that is at its best we know we have no room for error.

There's been quite a few changes made to the All Blacks in the past three years.

A lot of experience has disappeared but it's been replaced by youth and enthusiasm.

It's true that we don't have the depth of experience of the Australia side. Unlike ourselves and South Africa, they have managed to keep themselves together and are rightly regarded as favourites.

Lomu snubbed by All Blacks

But we're keen and we still believe that we have the best players. So experience sometimes isn't the be-all and end-all.

Lomu's absence

There's always going to be people who miss out and this time it's Jonah - but the team's been picked on form and those are the players that have been chosen.

So as a player, we have to concentrate on those who do get the nod. It's vital that we keep our concentration.

And though Jonah will certainly be disappointed, we have to have faith in the selectors.

On the positive side, it's good to start the game with my mate Andrew Mehrtens outside me.

We've played a lot at international level and its certainly comforting for a scrum-half to have a quality player like him back after his knock against Fiji.

Our pre-tournament preparations were hampered by some bad luck.

All four games we played ahead of the Tri-nations were dogged by poor weather.

Rain seemed to follow us everywhere and we had to play rugby in wet conditions when often it wasn't ideal.

The bottom line is that Australia will be a tough nut to crack and we'll find out just how well we've prepared come Saturday.