A dead rubber it might be, but a couple of personal milestones should ensure the year's final Bledisloe Cup Rugby Test won't lack for passion.
All Blacks hooker Keven Mealamu is set to play his 100th Test, while opposition lock Nathan Sharpe will wear the Wallabies jersey for the last time on Australian soil.
New Zealand first five-eighth Dan Carter has little doubt the Wallabies and the Brisbane crowd will be fired up for a big send-off for the Australian skipper on Saturday night.
"It's going to be a huge challenge for us playing at Suncorp," he said.
"It's a stadium that the Wallabies are pretty successful at.
"Obviously, with Nathan Sharpe's farewell, they'll be well up for this game, so we're going to have to play extremely well to get the win we want."
Sharpe, 34, was to hang up his boots after the Super Rugby season.
But the Wallabies' run of injuries means he has twice delayed his retirement, and his swan-song will now be on the Northern Hemisphere tour beginning later this month.
The All Blacks, with the inaugural Rugby Championship title tucked away, fly out from Christchurch on Thursday having also already secured the Bledisloe Cup for another season.
But Carter said putting on the black jersey again was incentive enough within the camp to do well in Brisbane, where the New Zealanders lost on their last visit 14 months ago.
"If we need any more motivation, it's one of our great leaders Keven Mealamu's 100th game, so we really want to put on a good performance for him.
"He's been a stalwart for this team and I would love to get 80 minutes and have a win for him."
Mealamu, 33, made his Test debut 10 years ago against Wales in Cardiff.
It will be his 27th match against the Wallabies.
NZN
