Australia's Rocky Elsom and New Zealand's Richie McCaw pose with the Bledisloe Cup in Melbourne © Getty Images

The lead-up to this weekend's opening Bledisloe Cup match has been eventful to say the least.

The Australian media frenzied over the poor standard of the surface at Melbourne's enclosed Etihad Stadium and what influence that would have come Saturday. They questioned the legality of All Blacks' captain Richie McCaw's style of play at the breakdown and a sneaky photographer snapped a photo of New Zealand coach Graham Henry clutching the All Blacks’ game plan!

Meanwhile, Australia's worst fears were realised when Quade Cooper's efforts to have a two match suspension overturned proved fruitless (one Twitter user even opined that the offending spear tackle on Morne Steyn should have resulted in a bonus point win and a letter from The Queen).

These headlines and more detracted from what was a brilliant win over South Africa in Brisbane. What would normally be celebrated heartily was forgotten feebly as the reality of meeting an indomitable New Zealand team set in fast.

The Wallabies have not beaten the All Blacks in their previous seven encounters. Should that Bledisloe Cup drought be broken this year, the engraver will probably need some practice writing Australia.

The suspension of Cooper was disappointing for many reasons. Firstly, he will miss out on taking on the country of his birth and playing his first run-on Bledisloe Cup match.

Secondly, the offending tackle that earned the two match reprieve was in many people's eyes too harsh, considering that similar tackles in this year's Super 14 competition drew lesser suspensions, such asyellow cards and in some instances even went unpunished.

Couple that with the fact that Springbok centre Jaque Fourie's suspension for a similar offence was able to be served by missing South African Currie Cup matches and you can see why the Australian camp were less than impressed with the ruling.

Regardless, the most disappointing aspect of Cooper's forced absence is that it deprives Robbie Deans and the Wallabies of an opportunity to field a consistent team, that is to say an unchanged one, against quality opposition in this critical period little more than one year out from the World Cup.

It's not that a fly-half/inside-centre combination of Matt Giteau and Berrick Barnes is any less competent or threatening than the Cooper/Giteau one. The former may even be superior at this point in time as it has been tried and tested. It does, however, lack one thing that the latter does. The potential to grow, blossom and become the world's best.

Deans isn't necessarily picking the best team now, he's picking (injured players excluded) a team he believes will be the best next year.

To be the best Cooper needs to play every game between now and the World Cup. His relationship with mercurial halfback Will Genia has been likened to that of George Gregan and Stephen Larkham, while the presence of Giteau outside him gives him experience and a more than capable substitute at first receiver should he need support.

That aside, it will be Giteau who will take over in his place and Barnes who will take over from Giteau at 12.

However, Cooper's suspension had positives for some, with Anthony Faingaa, someone who I believe is an excellent player, being promoted to the reserves bench. Anthony will join twin brother Saia, who made way in the starting XV for the returning Stephen Moore. If both play they will be the third set of twin brothers to represent the Wallabies at the same time.

Saturday's game will be close. Both teams dealt with South Africa in a similar fashion and each scored over 30 points. Giteau's kicking may be more assured (statistically at least) than Dan Carter's at the moment but don't expect Carter's waywardness from the kicking tee to continue.

In the forwards the Australian scrum continues to improve but must start strongly to stay in the contest. If questions over the integrity of the surface are to be believed then a number of collapsed scrums may ruin the occasion.

The game seems evenly poised but in terms of preparation and form New Zealand already have Australia beat. Come the end of the match the All Blacks may well be celebrating their 12th straight Test win and eighth against the Wallabies.

Aleks Krajcer