Your mission Jerome: Have a smashing time

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There are no secrets surrounding Jerome Kaino's role at Westpac Stadium tomorrow night - smash Frenchmen in tackles and smash them with ball in hand.

"Our ball-carriers and our clean-out guys have to get really physical," Kaino says.

The athletic Auckland No 6 returns from injury to add valuable physical presence to an All Blacks loose forward trio that was outmuscled in Dunedin.

A quiet Super 14 for the underwhelming Blues hasn't dented Kaino's confidence and he talks up the potential within a black pack missing Andrew Hore, Ali Williams, Rodney So'oialo and Richie McCaw.

"The front row and tight five are really hurting after that game because if you look at the past there aren't too many All Black front rows that get pushed back in so many scrums.

"The guys know that we've probably got the best scrum in the world and it's just how we approach it when we get to scrums. I don't think there'll be any All Black scrums going backwards this week."

The scene is set for a torrid forward battle in Wellington.

Conditions are expected to be cold and slippery and the All Blacks need to win the opening forward exchanges to give them a foothold, an aspect sorely missing in Dunedin.

"There are a lot of things you can do to achieve that," Kaino says.

"In the tackle, make the tackles a lot harder, the cleanouts a lot harder. It's not just trying to intimidate them by giving punches or anything it's all over the field."

Kaino rubbishes suggestions that France's upset first test win is evidence that northern hemisphere club rugby better steels its forwards for test rugby than the Super 14.

"I think the Super 14's the best competition in the world. We'll see that on the weekend with the way the boys go out there. The French were a step ahead of us last Saturday and we just weren't up for the challenge."

Last year was a breakthrough one at international level for Kaino, 26, though he had the luxury of packing down alongside McCaw and So'oialo.

Now, with a whopping 15 tests under his belt, Kaino is the senior pro in a green trio including converted No 8 Kieran Read (four tests) and openside Tanerau Latimer, who made his debut off the bench in Dunedin.

Kaino says the change from Super 14 ELVs to test laws caught the All Blacks on the hop at Carisbrook but they will be far better prepared in Wellington.

"This week the boys have really put a focus on studying the ruck and how their tacklers target our ball."

AT A GLANCE

Name: Jerome Kaino Age: 26 Born: American Samoa Province: Auckland Super 14: Blues, 55 games, 4 tries Tests: 15, 14 starts Position: Blindside flanker Physical: 1.96m, 105kg Nickname: Loms World under-21 player of the year in 2004

- © Fairfax NZ News