All Blacks set for Australia semi

Captain McCaw (left) is fit to lead the All Blacks against Horwill’s Australia

New Zealand captain Richie McCaw has admitted Sunday’s World Cup semi-final against Australia is anything but “just another game”.

“ acknowledge that, but ’ve got to do a lot of the things exactly the same to ensure perform,” he said.

“What’s different is the excitement and what’s at the end – the big thing is not to let that get on top of .”

New Zealand bring in Aaron Cruden, Israel Dagg and Richard Kahui, while Australia call up Anthony Fainga’a.

Australia have lost full-back Kurtley Beale to a hamstring injury, so Adam Ashley-Cooper moves to that position and Fainga’a comes into the centres.

Dagg returns at full-back for the All Blacks after missing the quarter-final victory over Argentina, while third-choice fly-half Cruden takes over from the injured Colin Slade, who had in turn replaced star number 10 Dan Carter, who is out of the tournament with a leg injury.

Kahui displaces Sonny Bill Williams, with the high-profile convert from rugby league starting on the bench.

New Zealand, the tournament hosts and the world’s number one-ranked team, are attempting to win the tournament for the first time in 24 years, and have not reached the final since 1995.

McCaw said the team are well aware of the expectation but that “ learn to put it to the side”.

“Bits of excitement keep reminding of what ’re in for,” he added. “ just keep reminding rself that’s what need to go through to play on Sunday.”

Wallabies skipper James Horwill insisted recent matches between the countries will have no bearing on the contest.

The Wallabies beat the All Blacks in the 1991 and 2003 World Cup semi-finals and also won the last encounter between the rivals in the Tri-Nations decider in Brisbane earlier this year.

However, they have not won at Eden Park for a quarter of a century, including a humbling defeat by the All Blacks in the Tri-Nations in August.

Ten of the Australian team were not even born when the Wallabies last won at Eden Park, but Horwill is unconcerned by such statistics.

“History is history,” he said. “This is a World Cup semi-final. That’s all we’re worried about and history means nothing.

“The mood has been good this week. 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.

“ do not want to be walking around too stressed and uptight about what’s coming.”

New Zealand captain McCaw’s duel with David Pocock will be one of the key battles at Eden Park but the Australia open-side commented: “ can’t get caught up in the one-on-one battle.

“It’s often put across by the media, but it’s very much a team effort and whoever wins [the breakdowns] goes a long way to deciding who is better as a number seven on the night.”

McCaw, who has been battling persistent pain in his right foot after surgery earlier this year and barely trains during the week, insists he is “good to go”.

New Zealand: Israel Dagg; Cory Jane, Conrad Smith, Ma’a Nonu, Richard Kahui; Aaron Cruden, Piri Weepu; Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu, Owen Franks, Sam Whitelock, Brad Thorn, Jerome Kaino, Richie McCaw (capt), Kieran Read.

Replacements: Andrew Hore, Ben Franks, Ali Williams, Victor Vito, Andy Ellis, Stephen Donald, Sonny Bill Williams.

Australia: Adam Ashley-Cooper; James O’Connor, Anthony Fainga’a, Pat McCabe, Digby Ioane; Quade Cooper, Will Genia; Sekope Kepu, Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander, Dan Vickerman, James Horwill (capt), Rocky Elsom, David Pocock, Radike Samo.

Replacements: Tatafu Polota Nau, James Slipper, Rob Simmons, Ben McCalman, Luke Burgess, Berrick Barnes, Rob Horne

— ’re ’s , . : A ‘Malign Intellectual Subculture’ – George Monbiot Smears Chomsky, Herman, Peterson, Pilger And Media Lens.