Hansen to All Blacks: Stay focused for Bledisloe win

WELLINGTON: The All Blacks have been reminded that they must not switch off and strive to improve their finishing if they are to retain the Bledisloe Cup when they meet the Wallabies in Dunedin tomorrow.

The world champions thrashed Australia 54-34 in Sydney last week and can retain the symbol of trans-Tasman supremacy for a 15th successive season with a win in the second round of Rugby Championship clashes.

Despite the margin of victory, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen was disappointed his side let their standards slip once his they had established a 54-6 lead after 48 minutes and has told them they can not afford another repeat.

“We threw poor passes, our skill execution was poor, our defence was poor,” Hansen told reporters in Dunedin yesterday.

“There wasn’t too much that was good really. So that has been quite handy. It has brought people down to earth.”

Due to a poor Super Rugby campaign, the Wallabies had spent a month together preparing for the southern hemisphere championship and Hansen said not playing competitively for so long probably had an effect on last week’s result.

“To be able to play with the intensity and pace that test level brings you’ve got... to play,” Hansen said.

“They’ll be a lot sharper of mind and body (in Dunedin).

“They’ll be hurting so that will make them even hungrier than they have been and they know that if they don’t get it right this week then there’s the Bledisloe gone.”

Hansen has made just two changes to his starting side with hooker Dane Coles returning from an injury-ravaged season to earn his 50th test cap in place of Codie Taylor.

Nepo Laulala is the other change, coming in at tighthead prop after Owen Franks succumbed to a long-standing Achilles injury after initially making the side.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika also resisted the urge to shake up his side, making just three changes to his starting lineup with arguably the most important being the elevation of centre Tevita Kuridrani from the bench.

The All Blacks exploited major cohesion issues in defence in the Wallabies’ backline last week, as Samu Kerevi still appeared to be struggling with injury and was beaten several times before Kuridrani replaced him.

Kerevi’s defensive woes, however, were probably exacerbated by the constant shuffling of Bernard Foley and Kurtley Beale away from the point of attack to compensate for their frailties, and Cheika said the entire team were working on their defence.

“We have to be better,” Cheika said. — Reuters