Sheens fears New Zealand pair

Australia coach Tim Sheens has singled out New Zealand halves Shaun Johnson and Benji Marshall as the men to watch ahead of Friday's clash.

The Kangaroos have won the past three matches between the two countries, but Sheens predicts a tough encounter at Auckland's Eden Park.

The Anzac Test will mark the first time the Warriors' Johnson and Wests Tigers' Marshall will have appeared together, and Sheens - who coaches Marshall at club level - is wary of the speed both men possess.

"It's the one (pairing) we have worried about most," Sheens said.

"They have speed. When you get tired and blokes have got speed, they worry you.

"I think everyone's been looking forward to seeing the Marshall/Johnson combination and with young (Kieran) Foran there the Kiwis are well and truly on their way to having a young spine over the next couple of years."

Their unpredictability is something Sheens admits is tricky to plan for.

"Although they'll probably try and play with more structure, that unpredictability is still something that concerns me," he added.

"I'll be happy if they play with structure because we'll know what's coming.

"It's that little bit of footwork and that 'show and go' that they've got.

"I know where they'll be coming, through the middle at us, a lot of dummy-half running.

"If the young halves start playing off the back of that we're in trouble."

But Sheens predicted the presence of Johnson and Marshall would help his team focus on the job at hand.

"By them being there, it actually lifts our intensity," he said.

"Our guys aren't going to be going in there thinking we only have to turn up to beat these boys.

"This is something you have to continually put in the heads of the Australian players. They think: 'We have beaten them, we will beat them again'. The more you think that, the closer you are to a loss."

New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney agreed the pair would make sure the Australians come under some pressure.

"For us our focus is that we get our game plan right," Kearney said.

"If Benji Marshall is playing his best footy and Shaun Johnson is playing his best footy and the team is playing its best footy then I'm sure - regardless of who the opposition is - we'll put some pressure on them."