The All Blacks coach Graham Henry says the state of the playing field at Etihad Stadium isn't weighing on the teams' mind ahead of Saturday night's Bledisloe Cup clash with the Wallabies in Melbourne.
The pitch has come under severe scrutiny, with the AFL's aussie rules players union describing the ground as a skating rink.
Henry says he's disappointed the team can't train at Etihad before Saturday's Tri-nations showdown and warns the biggest problem could be at scrum-time when both front-rows need to pack as tight as possible.
However he says the issue isn't affecting the teams' preparation.
The Australian coach Robbie Deans also dismissed fears of a dangerous surface and stressed the Wallabies would happily play on asphalt to avoid their worst trans-Tasman streak in 63 years.
