One side will leave the World Cup final venue tonight with renewed confidence they can repeat in 79 days.
Victory in the opening Bledisloe Cup duel at Eden Park will be another notch in the confidence belt, a boost in self-belief about the pathway to the global tournament.
That psychological reinforcement cannot be overlooked as the transtasman foes will have a mere two tests left before the seventh global event starts.
For some, this match may be their last chance, a final audition for All Blacks wanting to make the cut when 30 players are named for the tournament.
It gets even tighter next week, when the All Blacks trim their squad to 26 for their last offshore matches in Port Elizabeth and Brisbane against the Boks and Wallabies.
The coaches want to take away the quartet who have been injured but involved with the squad for the last month.
Israel Dagg, Isaia Toeava, Richard Kahui and Tony Woodcock are primed to run out for some club or ITM Cup rugby soon and if they satisfy the medics, they will get airline departure cards.
The curiosity is the status of the four stand-by players - Cory Jane, Ben Smith, Sitiveni Sivivatu and Wyatt Crockett - chosen to assist when an array of the originals could not play.
Crockett has played strongly and gets another run tonight, Jane and Sivivatu were also very sprightly in their appearances while Smith has gone back to play provincial rugby for Otago.
Sivivatu gets another shot tonight, while Hosea Gear is out of casualty for the first time, alongside a group of Crusaders and Keven Mealamu.
Performances tonight will count. Sivivatu will be gauged against the energetic rubberman Digby Ioane.
Starting at halfback is Piri Weepu, where his influence and fitness will come in for some serious scrutiny against the Wallaby conjurer Will Genia.
This is Weepu's chance to say he can run a match effectively from the start instead of being wheeled out as an impact closer, as he has in the past two tests.
Lock Ali Williams needs games to continue his progress and is probably not as effective from the bench as Sam Whitelock.
The Wallabies are confident but all eyes will be on whether their body language matches the chat. They have lost 10 from 12 transtasman duels since Robbie Deans took over.
They have all sorts of flash and dash through their backline but the inside defensive channels manned at set piece by Ioane and Pat McCabe will get the full inquisition.
Daniel Carter and Ma'a Nonu are the sword and the howitzer who will give a bigger exam than Samoa did a few weeks ago.
But up front is where all the muscle and technique will be tested. Any dazzling back threats will stutter if the gold scrum wobbles and referee Craig Joubert and his assistants are vigilant.
- Wynne Gray
