Laurie Mains believes the All Blacks must be favoured to win the Tri-Nations rugby series but warned talk of Australia's demise was premature.

The Otago and former All Blacks coach was reviewing the weekend's international rugby in which the Tri-Nations teams had mixed fortunes.

The All Blacks beat France 37-12 in Wellington, the Wallabies lost 13-29 to the British Lions in Brisbane and South Africa vanquished Italy 60-14 in Port Elizabeth.

Mains said on Monday he had been pretty impressed with what he had seen of the 2001 All Blacks. "They stepped up again against France and I think they're very much on track," he said.

However, Mains agreed the All Blacks had much work to do on their scrum. "I don't think New Zealand has a problem at loosehead. Carl Hoeft is a very good international prop," he said.

"It's more the total scrum technique. It takes eight players to contribute to the crucial scrums, not just the front row. It's a unit thing.

"I feel the scrum as a whole doesn't quite have the attitude to scrummaging that it needs. Scrummaging is a technique and attitude thing but we also have to acknowledge the French have always been strong at scrum time.

"In the last two Tests (France and Argentina) the All Blacks have opposed two of the best scrums in world rugby."

Mains said he did not have too many concerns about the All Blacks lineout. "I don't think the lineout's that bad - you can have a bit of indecision and lose a couple of throws," he said.

Mains believes Australia will be much tougher in the second Test against the Lions in Melbourne on Saturday, and in the Tri-Nations.

"They'll have learnt a lot from the first Test loss and they'll certainly come back. It (the second Test) will be a much tougher game," he said.

"While Brian O'Driscoll and Rob Henderson are very good players, I don't think they'll find the same holes in the Wallaby backline this week.

"I don't think anyone should under-estimate the Lions. They're a very good team - well-organised and they're playing very good rugby.

"But, believe me, Australia will come again. You wouldn't write Australia off on the strength of one game although there were a few warning signs when New Zealand Maori played them.

"They are struggling a little bit and they've got a bit of a front row problem."

Mains doubted there would be wholesale changes to the Wallabies for the second Test. "I don't think they've got that many options. I don't think they can make many changes," he said.

"There's not quite the depth in Australian rugby that some other countries have."

Mains said little could be read into the Springbok performance against Italy and he believes there is "some disarray and confusion" in the South African ranks.

"The coach, the assistant coach and the three Australian assistant coaches have probably all got different ideas about how they're meant to be playing," Mains said.

"Against Italy, the players clearly didn't know what they were meant to be doing."

Mains said the Springboks would lift themselves for the Test against the All Blacks in Cape Town on July 21. "But I certainly think New Zealand will be much happier with its preparation than South Africa," he said. - Sapa