Lest England were beginning to sound a little cocky after Saturday's win in Sydney, Australia and New Zealand today attempted to bring them down to earth. First came Wallaby suggestions that it was their complacency rather than an improvement in English form which resulted in the one-point win for Martin Johnson's men, before New Zealand revealed a team full of World Cup hopefuls in the Maori side who round off the England tour in Napier on Wednesday night.
The Maori with the biggest point to prove is Luke McAlister, the former Sale Shark, who went home to win back his place with the All Blacks before the World Cup on home territory, only to be told he had gone backwards since 2007.
Back in 2005 McAlister and another of Wednesday's hosts, Corey Flynn, helped undermine the Lions and were part of the team who defeated both Ireland and New Zealand Barbarians during the current celebrations marking 100 years of Maori rugby. They have made two changes from the side who beat Ireland 31-28 last Friday – the flanker Karl Lowe and the prop Clint Newland both starting in their home province.
Elsewhere it emerged that Dan Carter, architect of the humbling of Wales last weekend, may not make the second Test against Warren Gatland's men. He is suffering from calf damage and is one of several All Blacks in doubt for Saturday's game in Hamilton.
A decision on whether he will be replaced by Aaron Cruden will be left until Thursday, said Wayne Smith, the assistant coach. "It's not actually a calf pull or anything like that, it's just a tightening. But we've got to make sure it's right."
The lock Anthony Boric also has a fractured cheekbone, the full-back Israel Dagg was concussed and the centre Conrad Smith is still seeing double after being poked in the eye, while injury problems extend across the Tasman with the Wallaby wing Digby Ioane out for four months with a damaged shoulder and the scrum-half Will Genia nursing a broken right thumb.
Ioane will miss the upcoming Tri-Nations tournament, while Genia, only just back after injury, is likely to be out for four weeks. While the Australia coach Robbie Deans had been suggesting he would like to make changes and see fresh faces against Ireland, he may well be restricted by a lack of personnel.
"I'm frustrated for obvious reasons," Deans said referring to the victory in Perth the previous week. "There was a degree of comfort in that game which was magnified by the ease at which we scored when we had good set-piece possession [in Sydney]," he said. "Sometimes that can be counterproductive because blokes then sit there and wait for it to happen. But it doesn't happen at a Test match."
New Zealand Maori team to play England at McLean Park in Napier on Wednesday: R Robinson (Southland); S Maitland (Canterbury), D Sweeney (Waikato), L McAlister (North Harbour), H Gear (Wellington); S Brett (Canterbury), A Smith (Manawatu); C Newland (Hawke's Bay), C Flynn (Canterbury), B Afeaki (North Harbour), H Triggs (Otago), J Hoeata (Taranaki), K Lowe (Hawke's Bay), T Latimer (Bay of Plenty), L Messam (Waikato, capt).
Replacements: D Coles (Wellington), B Murray (Northland), I Ross (Canterbury), C Bourke (Bay of Plenty), R Tipuna (Wellington), W Ripia (Taranaki), J Willison (Waikato).
