Robbie Deans says his intimate knowledge of key All Blacks personnel will have little impact on the outcome of the Wallabies' showdown against his countrymen in Sydney on Saturday night.
Deans has been forced to fend off questions from New Zealand reporters all week over whether or not he has spilled the beans on his former Crusaders charges including star playmaker Dan Carter.
"They [the Wallabies players] know as much as I know [about the All Blacks players]," Deans insisted shortly after announcing his squad for the Bledisloe Cup and Tri Nations showdown.
"I mean they play in the same competition [Super 14], all these players are pretty familiar to each other but obviously we've pooled our knowledge and come up with a plan and we'll see how it goes."
Pressed on his knowledge of Kiwi maestro Carter, Deans again played down his influence despite his long association with the world's leading flyhalf.
"It's a two-way street, they know a lot about my methods as well and they'll be second guessing that," he said.
"That's just the game from week to week, there's not a lot of secrets, it's all there for everyone to see."
The Wallabies mentor would not be drawn on All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen's comments claiming the Wallabies test the limit of the laws at scrum time but welcomed the added attention surrounding his first meeting with Graham Henry's men as a rival coach.
"Anything that generates interest is good, all I can assure you from my own perspective which is the only perspective I do know is that it's something I'm really enjoying and looking forward to," he said.
Meanwhile, Deans conceded the withdrawal of All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw was disappointing for all involved but said the traditional clash is far bigger than any one individual.
"That's a shame really from the game's perspective, these guys love to play against the best and it's obviously a shame from Richie's perspective as well," Deans said.
"Outside of that it's a bit like Stirling [Mortlock's withdrawal], it's not that significant, it's still going to be an epic."
Stand-in Wallabies captain George Smith echoed his coach's sentiments.
"You want your players that are fit and ready to go and obviously Richie's pulled the pin on that," Smith said.
"Daniel Braid's an excellent player, they'll lose nothing there, I think [he's] a very good scavenger and a very good player around the field so it'll still be a very tough contest."
Indeed Smith, who will lead the side for the second time in his 87-Test career on Saturday night, warned his men to brace for another brutal encounter.
"Throughout the park it's just going to be a high intensity game, we have strike power [and] they have strike power across the park," Smith said. "So it's about matching their enthusiasm and then coming over the top at the end."