To see the Roos train for tonight's match...
 

"New Zealand will pose a great test for us from the physical side and the three teams we will go up against are renowned for being both technical gifted and physical," said Neill.

"We ourselves are physical, so it will be a good test and a good gauge to see where we are at and how much work we need to do on the training ground to get to the level we want to be."

The strong rivalry between the two teams will provide an extra edge to the friendly nature of the match and Neill believes that extra competition can only be good for Australia.

"I think I will be a competitive game," he said.

"It's well recorded that there's a rivalry between the two countries and you have to remember that it's the last game for us on home soil before we leave the World Cup, so we want to give a good account of ourselves and win every game we play in."

But he said to simply describe New Zealand as a side which relies heavily on physicality is not a fair representation of the All Whites, who showed all the qualities of a World Cup team when they defeated Bahrain in the qualification play-off.

He added: "Every game will test us in different ways, not just physically but tactically, mentally and technically.

"New Zealand is perfect opponent to have at this stage with Denmark and USA to come and they will offer something a little bit different.

"Then there's the three most important moments of any Australian footballer."

Coach Pim Verbeek agreed that the rivalry between the teams could only add to the value of the game for Australia.

"It's rivalry, I know about that in the two-and-a-half years that I'm here, I think it's good for us, that it will be a tough game," said Verbeek.

"That's what we need for us it's a testing match, it's good to build up confidence and condition. They can work hard against a tough opponent."

Neill said that he is an unabashed fan of the All Whites and apart from tonight, wishes them well on their World Cup journey

"There is always a little bit of banter, but only friendly," said the skipper. "Overall, we wish them well.

"Even though they are rivals of ours, we congratulate them on qualifying for the World Cup and hope they do the southern hemisphere proud.

"I'm sure that the game will be competitive as always and we're hoping to put on a good display against a team that wants to prove that they deserve to be in the 32 that are going to the World Cup."

To see the Roos train for tonight's match...