Back to the worst team in five years.  I think perhaps the better team would have been the most inexperienced team in five years.  I mean, c'mon.  Zac Guildford, his second test, and he's twenty years old, again, in five years time he is going to be ranked up there among the modern greats.  Sure, right now he still has his training wheels on, but he's there on merit, and would have been playing in that Pom team two years ago!

Right, so the team - 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Zac Guildford, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Tony Woodcock. Reserves: 16 Aled de Malmanche/Corey Flynn, 17 John Afoa, 18 Anthony Boric, 19 Jerome Kaino, 20 Andy Ellis, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Tamati Ellison.

Hell, maybe not the worst team in the last five years, but certainly the worst bench for a test, perhaps ever.  For fucks sake - Ellis, Donald and Ellison.  Lets hope that the All Blacks don't try a triple scissors with Cowan, Carter and Nonu in the first minute of the test and in an almighty strike of fate, they collide and get carted off on a fleet of stretchers.  A backline of Ellis, Donald, and Ellison is a thing of nightmares.  Actually I think that would be the worst trio of test back reserves I have ever seen.  So the hacks are almost right.  The forward reserves a little better, but only a little, and they all might come right in the All Black jersey.  The backs though, to proven crap, and Ellison, hopefully there for this one tour, ever!

So the Poms at Twickers.  Never easy, with their fans in full voice, spilling their gins and tonics down their tweed jackets and singing their slave song in full voice!  And then, Johnny's back, and playing pretty well.  Just a pity the rest of the side is just soooo average.  Although to be fair, like the British hacks, I have not watched a lot of Pom footy this season - probably more though than most, thanks to the rugby channel on sky!

I think though, as the other two, or is it three, (yes three) tests, the All Blacks will win, it'll be as boring as bit shit, there'll perhaps be an exciting moment or two, but don't count on it!  It certainly has been a forgettable tour so far in 2009.  As per usual when you are touring the Northern Hemisphere wearing black, there has been more action off the field, with the press and their half backed quotes, than on the field in the 80 minutes of games time!

But like Razbra, I can't wait for this test, I love playing against the Poms too, love beating them, hate losing to them.  And form often counts for nothing against this mob, they hat the black as much as we hate the white!  But there is just nothing at the moment that strikes fear into an All Black fans heart in that English line-up.  Maybe Johnny Wilkinson, and if they wear their gay purple jerseys again, and we can't see which team is which on the field - other than that they have got nothing.  Nothing apart from the fact that it is white against black, yin versus yang, and form counts for nothing.

This is the test of the tour to me (sorry Les Frogolians, your test is a tough bastard one too, but I am used to losing to you now!), and the one that we must win.  although if we were to lose, that would not be all bad, as that would leave big Martin J, the worlds most inexperienced coach at ANY level, in charge through to the next World Cup, and that is all good for everyone involved, except for the white, or gay purple wearing Poms!