Howlett is ready for epic battle with Tuqiri

AS a classical scholar with a special interest in Greek and Roman history, battle tactics and gladiatorial showdowns are of a particular fascination to All Blacks winger Doug Howlett.

So the 25-year-old should be ideally prepared for Saturday's modern day version a World Cup semi-final between age-old rivals New Zealand and Australia in Sydney's Olympic Stadium.

There were no pre-match digs from Howlett, or anyone in the All Blacks camp for that matter. Swords will be drawn on Saturday night Howlett's opposite number in front of 85,000 baying fans will be Lote Tuqiri, the former rugby league winger who has nailed down a place in the Wallabies starting line-up only a year after switching codes.