This term, they have already put 40-odd points past Tonga and have armed themselves with a couple of rather useful players in Taine Randell and Christian Cullen. Tonga are far from brilliant, as they demonstrated in drawing with a New Zealand Divisional XV in Napier yesterday, but Randell and Cullen are as top-drawer as they come.As are the likes of Rico Gear, the threatening Auckland Blues centre, and Brad Fleming, a central figure in New Zealand's Commonwealth Games-winning seven-a-side outfit. The Maori are further blessed with Dave Gibson, a star turn as Auckland's scrum-half in last month's Super 12 final, and a pair of All Black props in Greg Feek and Carl Hayman. They might also have fielded one of the most potent young flankers of his generation, the "Tauranga Tearaway" Dan Braid, but for a lively little controversy surrounding his Maori credentials, which were far from obvious to those who know about these things.

Suddenly, Braid is out of the picture.If Vickery fails to punch his weight tomorrow, he too will find himself on the outside looking in. Commonly bracketed with Pieter de Villiers of France as the best tight-head prop around, the Gloucester captain finds himself off the pace after months of injury and a couple of miserable outings at Twickenham, where the Barbarians beat his England XV with something to spare and Wasps marmalised his club side on Premiership Grand Final day. A fit and feisty Vickery is among the first names on Woodward's Test team sheet, so we can assume he is short on both counts right now."The Test selection is a matter for Clive," he said, reluctant to be seen pushing his own case for inclusion against the All Blacks next weekend, or even against the Wallabies in Melbourne in 13 days' time. "You take what you're given in this game, especially when you miss great chunks of a season through injury. When I had surgery to correct the problem with my back, I wasn't at all sure I would make this tour. Under the circumstances, I'm pleased and relieved to be here, and grateful to be given the responsibility of leading an England side against opponents as strong as the Maori I can't look past this game; none of us can.

If it doesn't go well in New Plymouth, none of us will be in contention for the Test team."Vickery knows what it is to front up as England's captain in one of those environments euphemistically described as "challenging"; indeed, it is only a year since he led a profoundly inexperienced side containing five new caps to a victory over Argentina in Buenos Aires that Woodward still cherishes as a defining moment of his own stewardship. But the Maori, in their own North Island heartland? "Well, it won't be easy," said the prop softly "Not easy at all.". It has been a bittersweet week for Welsh rugby. On Monday the national squad missed their plane from Heathrow, which is one way of preparing for Tests against Australia and New Zealand, and on Friday Glanmor Griffiths announced that he too will be heading, belatedly, for the southern hemisphere It has been a bittersweet week for Welsh rugby.