FIVE REASONS FOR AUSTRALIAN OPTIMISM

1: Kurtley Beale’s return for his first test start since the 2015 World Cup should galvanise the backline and provide much-needed attacking spark and hopefully create some defensive second-guessing from his All Blacks opposite Sonny Bill Williams. 2: The Wallaby pack is full of aggression, with firebrand locks Adam Coleman and Rory Arnold and abrasive young back-rowers Sean Mcmahon and Ned Hanigan offering a physical edge, set-piece starch and ball-carrying punch to complement Michael Hooper’s pilfering skills. 3: Despite last year’s record 42-8 home loss, ANZ Stadium has been a relatively happy hunting ground for Australia in recent trans-tasman encounters with the Wallabies prevailing 27-19 in 2015 in a big upset before winning the Rugby Championship and reaching the World Cup final and also drawing 12-12 with four Beale penalty goals in 2014. 4: As rank outsiders, the Wallabies are anything but burdened with expectation and can play with a certain freedom as the world champions carry all the pressure. All Blacks coach Steve Hansen is on record as saying his team is desperate to avoid becoming the first New Zealand side to hand the prized trophy – second only in importance to the Webb Ellis Cup – back to Australia since 1998. 5: Already mired in off-field controversies amid allegations of trying to cover up the Aaron Smith ‘‘toilet tryst’’ scandal and the infamous hotel-room bugging affair, the All Blacks also showed attacking vulnerabilities during the drawn British and Irish Lions series when the tourists stymied Beauden Barrett and co with well co-ordinated and sustained rush defence. of the Year Ben Smith to the wing, and the squad omission of prolific