Forget a certain World Cup quarter-final - these are the world champions. And that has led Graham Henry to rate Saturday's Tri Nations opener against the Springboks as the biggest test his All Blacks have faced during his five years in charge.
Henry made that claim with a mixture of excitement and trepidation as he named his side to front the World Cup holders in Wellington.
Tired of discussing the unwanted off-field antics of Jimmy Cowan, Henry was happy to leap into what he thought might unfold on the field of action.
"It's going to be a huge test match in the weekend. We are playing the world champions and they have virtually got their whole team back from the World Cup of last year.
"So I think it's a massive challenge, maybe the biggest challenge that this group of people have faced in the five years that we have been together," said Henry in the capital. He then took it a step further.
"I can't see that there's a bigger test match in the world quite frankly - not for us anyway.
"It's the biggest test match that we are going to play. I don't think you are going to get a bigger test match.
"We are looking forward to that challenge. I think it will probably bring the best out of us and we are hoping to give them a decent sort of a game."
Henry has made quite a statement. But this is the No 1 and 2 ranked teams in the world and rugby's greatest rivals he's talking about. Certainly there's an air of anticipation about this match that has probably been absent from a Tri-Nations championship that has started to stale a little over the last year or two.
Nothing will change what happened at the World Cup for the All Blacks just as Springboks fans will forever remind Kiwis who won the title in France.
But this is a shot to prove something for both sides. And with a new-look All Blacks team running out at the Cake Tin, the Boks might just fancy ending their 10-year drought in New Zealand.
As expected the All Blacks named new captain Rodney So'oialo as their new No 7 and kept Adam Thomson on the blindside while returning Jerome Kaino to the back of the scrum. Loosehead Tony Woodcock, fit again, gets his first start of the test year.
In the backline, Mils Muliaina and Conrad Smith return at fullback and centre respectively while Rudi Wulf hangs on to the No 14 jersey from Anthony Tuitavake.
The All Blacks emphasised the challenge ahead of them by naming a crocked Ali Williams in the second row.
He's taken limited part in training this week because of his ankle problem. But the coaches are backing him to front up and know they need him to counter a real strength of the Springboks and to also help spring some surprises for the All Blacks in a lineout battle that will have an added edge to it.
The new rules allow unlimited numbers in the lineouts and also for mauls to be intentionally dragged down.
Williams is New Zealand's senior lineout man and the All Blacks need him to front Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha.
"I wouldn't say he's 100 percent but he's working his way towards that," said All Blacks forwards coach Steve Hansen of Williams.
"He's pretty confident that he's going to be right. He'll train for a limited amount of time tomorrow and we'll build on that on Thursday. Any test match, when you've a guy who's your chief lineout forward and he's played 50 test matches, it's important to have him."
Both teams have concerns about the safety of that maul rule and Henry believes both teams will be cagey about how the lineouts will evolve.
"It's the unknown... nobody's played them before," Henry said. "I can't really answer the question (of impact) until we go through the process and play the game and have a number of games with these particular laws.
"It's going to be interesting isn't it? They could have 15 players in to our three (in the lineout).
"I think they were brought in to help the referee ... they don't have to count the numbers in the lineout, which has always been a frustration. Whether it has a positive effect on the game, we'll have to wait and see."
Hansen said the changes had meant some extra work for the lineout this week. But that was probably always going to be the case after some shabby efforts against Ireland and England.
"It's going to be how we react to what's put in front of us. We are going to have to think on our feet. I believe we are going to have to be really sharp with our basics," said Hansen.
Henry said the occasion hadn't been lost on his team as they step up from the Iveco Series. He reckoned about half his side were "new" - as in debuts players or some that had played one or two tests before this season. They had added enthusiasm with their initial selections and now they were eyeing the world champions with extra intensity.
"There's a huge amount of respect for South Africa," said Henry. "We play them a lot and it's always a hugely difficult game and the guys understand that. They will be up naturally for the game."
He believed the Springboks were, as promised, delivering a more open game under new coach Peter de Villiers.
"I think there are signs there that they want to use the ball more than they have in recent years which will make them more difficult to play against. There first two games against Wales, they used the ball quite significantly so I think they will play an expansive game."
NEW ZEALAND: 15 Mils Muliaina, 14 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Rudi Wulf, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Andy Ellis; 8 Jerome Kaino, 7 Rodney So'oialo (c), 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Tony Woodcock. Reserves: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 Neemia Tialata, 18 Anthony Boric, 19 Sione Lauaki, 20 Jimmy Cowan, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Leon MacDonald.
