Auckland: Recent matches between New Zealand and Australia, and the All Blacks' history of choking at the Rugby World Cup, will have no bearing on today's semi-final at Eden Park, Wallabies skipper James Horwill said yesterday.
The encounter between hosts New Zealand, the world's top-ranked team, and Tri-Nations champions Australia is considered to be so close that pundits have been reaching for precedent to help them in their predictions.
The Wallabies have some history on their side having beaten the All Blacks in the 1991 and 2003 World Cup semi-finals and they also won the last encounter between the trans-Tasman rivals in Brisbane in the Tri-Nations decider earlier this year.
Eden Park nightmare
Against that is the fact they have not won at Eden Park for a quarter of a century, including a humbling defeat to the All Blacks earlier in the Tri-Nations and the shock loss to Ireland in the pool phase of the competition.
Ten of the Australian team were not even born when the Wallabies last won at the home of New Zealand, however, and Horwill was not about to get too excited about what happened in the past.
"History is history," he told reporters at the team hotel.
"This is a World Cup semi-final tomorrow night and that's all we're worried about and history means nothing.
"The mood has been good this week," he added.
"The boys are relaxed and we are looking forward to it. We understand the magnitude of the game at hand, but everybody is pretty relaxed and pretty calm I think that is a good sign.
"You do not want to be walking around too stressed and uptight about what's coming."
Beale injury
The loss of Kurtley Beale to injury was disappointing, Horwill said, but the team had been preparing all week without the full-back and were well prepared to cope.
Another concern for Australia has been the form of New Zealand-born fly-half Quade Cooper, but Horwill said he was convinced his Queensland Reds team mate would be at his brilliant best when it really mattered.
"I think he will have the best game he's ever had tomorrow," he said.
"He has just been training well and he is looking forward to it and controlling the boys well.
"It's not about one bloke, it is about the group going out there and getting the job done and I know Quade's keen to get the job done."
Clash of the flankers
David Pocock, who has been a pivotal player for Australia at openside flanker, brushed off media speculation about how he would be refereed and the much-anticipated clash with his opposite number, All Blacks captain Richie McCaw.
"I don't read it, I don't watch too much telly," he said.
"I guess I'm oblivious to most of it.
"It's a good bunch of guys and it's a lot of fun to be in this environment.
"You can't let it become a distraction and get caught up in the one-to-one battle, it's a team game."
So did he draw inspiration from the chance to prove he is the best number seven in the world?
"All the inspiration you need is the fact that if we win, we're in the World Cup final," said Pocock.
"You grow up playing rugby dreaming about playing in a World Cup final, having that opportunity.
"You do not need other inspiration and if you do you should probably not be here to be honest."
All Blacks keep emotions in check
New Zealand know they face a game like no other when they take on fierce rivals Australia in the rugby World Cup semi-final today, but captain Richie McCaw is determined not to let the emotion and excitement interfere with the All Blacks' build-up.
"It's not another game, I think you acknowledge that from the start," McCaw told reporters yesterday, just hours before Wales and France met in the first semi-final at Eden Park.
"It's not just another game, but you've got to do a lot of the things exactly the same to ensure you perform. The way you train, the things you've got to do during the week, obviously you've got to make sure they are pretty similar.
Playing well
"I think when you get into [Sunday] night, what's different is the excitement and obviously what's at the end. "The big thing is not to let that get on top of you and inhibit you from going out there and playing well.
Excitement in New Zealand's largest city has been steadily building as the All Blacks face the Tri-Nations champions in an attempt to end a 24-year-drought for the Webb Ellis trophy.
