News round-up: The former New Zealand winger Jonah Lomu believes the All Blacks need to get back to basics and start enjoying their rugby again if they are to end their reputation as World Cup chokers.
New Zealand won the inaugural World Cup in 1987 but have failed to win the title since, despite going into each edition among the favourites.
They have dominated international rugby for the past three seasons but, with the World Cup just a few months away, cracks are starting to emerge.
They struggled to beat South Africa in Durban last month and then threw away a half-time lead to lose to Australia in Melbourne.
Lomu, who played in the All Blacks side that lost the 1995 final to South Africa and in the 1999 semi-final defeat by France, said he was confident New Zealand would end their drought this year but the players needed to stay calm.
"They have just got to relax and enjoy the game," Lomu told reporters in Sydney yesterday.
"They need to get back to enjoying the game and running it - it's what comes natural to them.
"If they relax and start chucking the ball around like they usually do and (showcase) the skill set they have been chosen for, it becomes second nature for them. They have that second nature in them."
New Zealand face an early test of their nerves when they host Australia at Auckland today in the deciding match of the Tri-Nations.
The Wallabies have not won in Auckland for 21 years and outhalf Stephen Larkham said a win would provide the visitors with a psychological boost.
He said: "As a stepping stone to the World Cup it's very important that we get some of these wins away from Australia."
New Zealand coach Graham Henry says today's match will provide a yardstick for both teams in terms of what they need to work on. "It's the ideal time to have a fixture like this," he said. "It's the right time in the calendar for both teams to analyse where they're at."
Meanwhile the England coach, Brian Ashton, has hailed Dan Ward-Smith as "an incredibly fit athlete" after the uncapped Bristol forward thrust himself into World Cup contention.
The New Zealand-born number eight has been sidelined since suffering a serious knee injury six months ago.
He could not play a full part during England's World Cup training camp in Portugal earlier this month, but his recovery has accelerated.
Ashton believes the time Ward-Smith spent working with the renowned knee-injury expert Bill Knowles in the US is a significant contributory factor.
Ashton said: "I am delighted with Dan. Not that long ago it looked less than 50-50 for him, but he is back in and doing full training with full contact.
"The work he did in the USA has pushed him along really, really well.
"Dan is a determined character, and once he saw a tiny little bit of light at the end of the tunnel he has really gone for it.
"Going across to America and having specialist one-on-one attention - added to his determination - has accelerated his progress quite dramatically. He is an incredibly fit athlete."
But while Ward-Smith's World Cup prospects have brightened considerably, Gloucester centre Mike Tindall continues on the long road back to full fitness.
Ashton believes it is "highly unlikely" Tindall, a 2003 World Cup winner, will be in contention for England's warm-up clash with Wales at Twickenham on August 4th. That would then leave him with just one more game - against France at the same venue seven days later - before Ashton announces his 30-man World Cup squad on August 14th.
Tindall, who has won more than 50 caps, is recovering from a broken leg suffered during Gloucester's Guinness Premiership clash against Newcastle in April when he collided with his England colleague Toby Flood.
Ashton added: "We probably need to make some sort of call over the next couple of weeks.
"It is ongoing rehab with Mike, but of all the players who are currently rehabbing he is well behind the others."
