New Zealand v Lions: Although still his cheery, laconic self at his eve-of-match press conference prior to the pivotal second Test in Wellington today, Graham Henry vented his annoyance with the presence in the Lions camp of Alastair Campbell.
In doing so, he confirmed that however wronged Clive Woodward and Brian O'Driscoll may feel, the last week of high-voltage publicity has merely cranked up the ante for the All Blacks as well.
"It's been a week of recovery," he began, and that was merely referring to the rigours of the first Test. "The boys have been tired all week but I'm sure we'll be on edge when we run out. I don't think there will be complacency. The opposition has certainly talked this Test match up, which has been helpful.
"I'm sure it's all part of Mr Campbell and his policies. He gets another person to say the same thing the next day. It's irritating for everyone who has to read that stuff all the time, but I guess that's what he gets paid to do."
Asked if he was old-school and hangs cuttings up in the dressing-room wall as a motivational tool, Henry said, "No, I guess we've grown up. We've got to go out and perform. We realise we've got wounded Lions and a wounded Lion will always be a dangerous beast. And we wouldn't have enough wall space to put all that crap up."
Tana Umaga looked and sounded like someone for whom kick-off cannot come quickly.
"It's been a bit of an annoyance but we have to live with these things. There's not much else we can do about it other than not read the paper, not watch TV and not listen to the radio. That's pretty much what I've done.
"The support from the boys has been brilliant; they've closed around me a bit, the senior players especially. We don't change anything; we just go about our business the best way we know how. It will be a relief to go out and play."
For Woodward, too, it has been "a long week". Discernibly under fire, he said, "It's interesting hearing from different people this week. We've heard from Finlay Calder, who explained graphically (how) in 89 in Australia the same thing happened.
"So it has happened before . . . He even informed me that he volunteered to step down as captain after the first Test, when they got hammered, and then went on to win the next two.
"So I just look at the team we've got out, and look at their team, and if we really get all our basics right, our scrum, our lineout, and we have some ball and really play, we can beat the New Zealand team."
NEW ZEALAND: M Muliaina (Auckland); R Gear (Canterbury), T Umaga (Wellington, capt), A Mauger (Canterbury), S Sivivatu (Waikato); D Carter (Canterbury), B Kelleher (Waikato); T Woodcock (Auckland), K Mealamu (Auckland), G Somerville (Canterbury), C Jack (Canterbury), A Williams (Auckland), J Collins (Wellington), R McCaw (Canterbury), R So'oialo (Wellington). Replacements: D Witcombe (Auckland), J Gibbes (Waikato), S Lauaki (Waikato), J Marshall (Canterbury), M Nonu (Wellington), L MacDonald (Canterbury), C Johnstone (Canterbury).
LIONS: J Lewsey (England); J Robinson (England), G Thomas (Wales, capt), G Henson (Wales), S Williams (Wales); J Wilkinson (England), D Peel (Wales); G Jenkins (Wales), S Thompson (England), J White (England), P O'Connell (Ireland), D O'Callaghan (Ireland), S Easterby (Ireland), L Moody (England), R Jones (Wales). Replacements: S Byrne (Ireland), G Rowntree (England), M Corry (England), M Williams (Wales), M Dawson (England), S Jones (Wales), S Horgan (Ireland).
Referee: Andrew Cole (Australia).
