Richie McCaw in training with the All Blacks in Wellington © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Robbie Deans | Richie McCaw | Stirling Mortlock

Tournaments/Tours: Bledisloe Cup | Tri Nations

Teams: Australia | New Zealand

Grounds: Eden Park

Australia head coach Robbie Deans freely admits that the return of Richie McCaw to the New Zealand fold is not good news for his side ahead of Saturday week's Tri-Nations opener in Auckland.

Deans is only too aware of the inspirational effect that McCaw has on those around him, having coached the All Blacks skipper during his time in charge of the Crusaders.

McCaw has yet to feature for New Zealand this season because of knee injury but Deans expects the world's premier openside flanker to hit the ground running at Eden Park.

Indeed, the Wallabies boss cited last year's Tri-Nations as the perfect example of just how important McCaw is to his side, with the New Zealand captain leading his country to a resounding 39-10 victory over Australia in Auckland just one week after the Kiwis had been outplayed without him in Sydney.

"He (McCaw) has been sitting there waiting. He doesn't enjoy not playing. He would have been training the house down," Deans is quoted as saying by Sportal.

"He showed that last year when he came back from the significant break and played the full 80 (against Australia); there's not too many that can do that. What that reflects is how effectively he prepared.

"He will bring an absolute hunger and enthusiasm to the group, because he hates watching, he hates watching average performances and he certainly doesn't like losing to the Wallabies.

"That's the last thing he will want to do and that's what happened last year. When a bloke has got that sort of focus and hunger and enthusiasm, it rubs off."

New Zealand are certainly a side in need of galvinising after an unconvincing start to the international season but, according to Australia captain Stirling Mortlock, the pain of last year's Bledisloe Cup defeat will ensure that there is no complacency within the Wallaby camp.

"I do think that the immediate history of what happened last year is a good lesson for us," the centre said. "We are very wary of a New Zealand team that would have been, so called, slightly understrength, but that doesn't happen.

"Whenever you play a Bledisloe Cup match, it is an absolute test of your character and your will and usually extremely massive Test matches, so that's what we are gearing up for."