Ali Williams is typically blunt about this one. Form, says the big All Black lock, is irrelevant this Saturday night at Suncorp. It's all about who gets the equation right on the night.
Williams is verbalising what is clearly a key philosophy out of the All Black camp. Expect the best from the Wallabies this week, and not the shambolic effort they delivered last time out when they were embarrassed 53-8 by the Springboks in Johannesburg.
Earlier in the week we'd even had the bizarre scenario of All Blacks coach Graham Henry trying to paint the Wallabies as favourites by virtue of them being at home, and probably supposing that they couldn't play that badly again if they tried.
On the other side of the coin things have been ticking over smoothly for the New Zealanders of late. Almost too smoothly. The Wallabies were hammered 39-10 in Auckland and then the Boks blanked 19-0 in Cape Town to set up Saturday night's title-deciding matchup.
Then, after a few weeks' R 'n R, last Wednesday in New Plymouth the ton was raised against a pretty green sort of Samoan team. The formline certainly favours the All Blacks on Saturday night.
Which is where Williams comes in. "I don't think form counts for anything. It's rubbish," he says. "You're only as good as you are on that day. You guys read into it too much, but you've got to, it's your job. A game of rugby is a game of rugby. Anyone can win, every tackle is different, and form is rubbish I reckon."
In other words, ignore Johannesburg. That was a changed Wallabies lineup, some key men were rested, others were injured, and the Australian eye was definitely off the ball. Williams isn't placing any stock in that blowout.
"You'd be stupid to," grins the 27-year-old who's matured into a world-class second-rower. "We all know Deansy. He'll be winding them up. They'll be nothing like Jo'burg.
"It's a mindset, its an attitude. And it's also a bit of luck."
Williams, who played this past Super 14 season for Deans at the Crusaders, was asked about how the master coach reacts after a defeat.
"He would have been drinking light beer I know that," says the mischievous lock. "Deansy is a very educated man, he looks not just at the game but the whole week, in terms of mindsets and things like that. He would have done a lot of homework. He drives triggers that make you want to win."
Personnel changes also alter the equation. Sometimes dramatically, adds Williams.
Rocky Elsom wasn't there in Auckland, and the All Blacks dominated at lineout time. Nathan Sharpe was missing in Jo'burg, and again the Wallaby set piece misfired. They're both present for Suncorp's decisive matchup.
"I can't speak highly enough about Sharpy, what he does there and how he runs it," says Williams. And on Elsom: "He's huge. You saw what he did to us in Sydney. He's another one with great presence on the field, and in the lineout."
The big fella adds that it's important that the All Blacks don't fall into any comfort zones about their own vastly improved lineout.
"It's going better this year, there's a bit more consistency," he says. "We're hitting our marks a lot more and delivering better ball. But it would be stupid to rest on how it has been going. It's got to get even better."
Williams is equally emphatic on another subject. The stakes don't come any higher than Saturday night, and given his oft-stated desire to be a "great" All Black, the stage is well and truly set.
"That's why I play the game, why a lot of us play the game -- for those challenges with the ultimate ending," says the Aucklander said to be ready for a return to his hometown Blues in 2009.
"It's a great challenge for me, and it starts by doing it all week right through training, the pre-game stuff and then the game. I'm excited and can't wait to rip into it."
Williams says he's expecting the Wallabies to come out with "attitude" as they look to put their recent misfires behind them. The physical battle, he adds, could well be the key one of the night.
"Every game is like that. If you don't stamp your mark physically you get left behind. For a forward pack the simple thing is you get physical dominance and get that set piece right. It's no different this week."
The huge stakes also increase the likelihood of, er, a more dour encounter. Williams doesn't disagree on this one.
"When more pressure is placed on people, that's when things probably tighten up a bit. It could be a bit different but that's great isn't it -- different styles of rugby."
But the man they call Comical Ali wasn't all simmering seriousness. One Australian reporter inquired whether the All Blacks would continue their lineout policy of split pods, creating a hole down the middle which they could attack.
"What happened there? Ssshhh," hissed Williams. "We might use that again and you've just blown it now. We'll go round the front then this time, eh?"
Then the game face returned. It's no time for joviality, for flippancy. Not this week of all weeks. That will come around 10 o'clock on Saturday night.
