Statistics can be misleading devils, able to be manipulated this way and that depending on the user's whims. But this one makes a fairly emphatic statement: in two Tri Nations matches the All Blacks backs have yet to score a try.

On the surface that glaring doughnut-shaped output would tend to indicate that all is not well in the backs as they gather in Wellington today to commence preparations for the Bledisloe Cup opener against the Wallabies on Saturday in Sydney.

They were two fairly entertaining, hotly contested and at times physically brutal encounters against the Springboks, split after the All Blacks had their way in Wellington only to be pipped at the post by a late Ricky Januarie try in Dunedin.

The All Blacks performed with genuine quality in the capital, outplaying the Boks up front and were unlucky not to win more comfortably than the final margin of 19-8. But the opposite applied in Dunedin where an inexperienced pack, shorn of its two premier locks, struggled to foot it with the world champions and were probably flattered by the end result, dramatic as it was.

Where Graham Henry's men came up short was in their ability to break down the South African defence. In short, to score tries.

So it's worth posing the question: have the All Blacks backs lost their mojo?

No, says assistant coach and backline maestro Wayne Smith who reckons that in this case the statistics tell a mistruth.

"If you look at the actual quality of play it was quite high," Smith said. "We were playing a defensive team that scrambles well and has some pretty good systems in place. You'd like to be dotting down a bit more but if you're looking at line-breaks and tackle-breaks, which are important indicators, we're reasonably high in that area."

Besides, adds Smith, it really doesn't matter who scores but rather that someone does. Refining attacking play to forwards or backs, he reckons, is pretty much irrelevant as lines tend to blur once set-phase is launched anyway.

"We're reasonably happy with where we are at. There are still areas to work on but the attitude is good and the execution is generally good."

In Dunedin, just five errors in total, and one with the hands, was an example of that.

Smith was also running a million miles away from any theory that the going suddenly gets easier against the Wallabies.

"They have different strengths," he says, suggesting this could be the tightest Tri Nations there has been. "They probably play a bit wider but we play a wide game too and try to play either way depending on what's in front of us."

What then of the individuals in the All Black backline? The two who have come under the most criticism after Dunedin were halfback Andy Ellis and wing Sitiveni Sivivatu, who limped off at halftime with a buttock strain after a match and a half of pretty ineffective rugby. Ellis, his critics have sung in chorus, has been pedestrian with his clearance and lacked presence in general.

All Blacks coaches always defend their men, so take this with a sprinkling of salt, but Smith says the Ellis knockers are wide of the mark.

"We think he's played pretty well. He's bright, he's tough and he's got a personality that's able to direct play. Some people say his pass is slow but that can depend on the type of ball you get. Perhaps, he's a little square-on at times getting to the breakdown but he's continuing to work at his game."

Besides, a halfback doesn't get a much tougher ride than with that haggling Bok pack breathing down his neck.

"They create a lot of difficult ball for you, no matter how strong your forward pack is, and I think he handled things pretty well."

Sivivatu is probably more of a conundrum.

"He's in great nick and quite simply he's had niggling injuries," Smith says. "He's got to show his mettle now, get his body right and put it on the track again when he gets his chance."

Whether that's this week will depend on his fitness. Smith said the Waikato wing would be assessed in Wellington today, but he was confident they could cover within the squad with Rudi Wulf and Anthony Tuitavake on hand.

On the positive side of the ledger, Smith was over the moon about his new midfield, suggesting the 10-13 combination of Dan Carter, Ma'a Nonu and Conrad Smith was the "best it's been for years".

Nonu, he reckons, has been a revelation.

"Dan's been a key with his running game but Ma'a has been important as well with his distribution skills. He's got great hands and he's executing that in games."

Smith puts Nonu's transformation this year down to a tightening process that was bedded in at the Hurricanes and is really bearing fruit now.

What Smith calls "the stupid plays" have been erased from his game.

"He's got a great passing game, and he's working on his kicking game, which we hope will come just as his passing game has."

Conrad Smith also earns praise for his form and combination with Nonu which keeps an impressive rookie on the sideline: "Any other year, in any other team Richard Kahui would be right up there given what he's shown. There hasn't been too many better debuts and he's got exceptional ability. But Conrad hasn't put a foot wrong, he works bloody hard and he's penetrative."

In other words, don't panic, the tries might not be too far off.

"We've been really proud of the guys - young men who haven't had many caps but they're really putting it in. If we can maintain that and get a bit more execution then it looks pretty promising."