Coleman out of Bledisloe
Kickoff: Venue:Ve 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
As if Michael Cheika didn’t have enough on his platter.
When Wallabies coach Cheika revealed he had received abusive messages in the wake of the 54-34 loss to the All Blacks in Sydney last weekend, he shone a light on the uglier side of the coaching life.
‘‘I have certainly had some of my own hate mail to deal with,’’ Cheika said this week. ‘‘I am not sure how they get my email address ... or (my) phone number. But you have to roll with that stuff mate, you have to deal with it. And there’s only one way that can change.’’
Victory over the All Blacks in Dunedin tonight, to keep the Bledisloe Cup series alive ahead of the decider in Brisbane on October 21, would be the best way for Cheika to jab a trident back at the trolls.
Good luck to him. He’s up against it.
Even when All Blacks coach Steve Hansen scratched tighthead prop Owen Franks because of his Achilles tendon injury, it created only a small ripple of consternation among supporters.
Replacing a 95-test veteran with Nepo Laulala, who has just four international caps, might activate some heated conversations if the opposition were England, South Africa, Ireland or France.
But the Aussies? Nah, not really.
It would be arrogant to believe this result was a foregone conclusion because the Wallabies are unlikely to be as terrible in the opening 50 minutes when they trailed 54-6 in Sydney, and it would only take a red card from referee Nigel Owens to swing the momentum in the visitors’ favour at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
Yet it pays to be realistic. The TAB have posted ridiculously short odds on the All Blacks, offering just $1.02 for a win while the Wallabies are at $12.
Were the Wallabies really that bad in Sydney?
Not for the final 30 minutes, when they replied with four tries and exploited the All Blacks’ sloppy execution and lack of focus, they weren’t. Getting inside players’ heads is one of the most difficult jobs for any coach and Hansen would have pounced on footage of that second-half comeback at ANZ Stadium.
During their preparation last week the All Blacks would have adopted a siege mentality, a consequence of the ‘‘bug-gate’’ court case being scheduled during their buildup and tabloid stories about the personal lives of Aaron Smith and Jerome Kaino being aired in the local papers.
Hansen has had to punch some different buttons this week.
Prolonging the Wallabies’ mis- 7.35pm tonight Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin erable run on New Zealand soil is an obvious angle and, so too, is the desire to retain the Bledisloe for a 15th consecutive season.
For those old enough to remem- ber the halcyon days of Australian rugby, when men like Eales, Gregan and Larkham, to name a few, held the All Blacks accountable, it seems inconceivable a generation of their supporters have not celebrated a Bledisloe victory.
Recording the 21st consecutive win over the Aussies on this side of the Tasman will form just one plank of the All Blacks’ mission statement.
One day this golden run will end and Hansen, contracted to NZ Rugby through to the 2019 World Cup, will be desperate to ensure it doesn’t happen on his watch.
And demanding his players don’t allow their minds to wander, as it did during the second spell in Sydney, should ensure he keeps the heat on Cheika.
‘‘You have got to keep working, keep your attention on what you are trying to do rather than taking a big sigh and a breath,’’ Hansen said.
‘‘Our attention went to the scoreboard rather than the things we had to right there, and then.’’ The Wallabies have been dealt a major blow on the eve of their Bledisloe Cup clash against the All Blacks with second-rower Adam Coleman ruled out of the match with a shoulder injury.
Coleman’s late withdrawal has paved the way for 21-year-old Izack Rodda to make an unexpected test debut off the bench against the world’s No 1 ranked side.
On Thursday, Cheika named Coleman and Rob Simmons as Australia’s starting second-rowers but Wallabies officials say Coleman aggravated an existing shoulder injury at the team’s last session in Christchurch that day.
Coleman did not participate in the Wallabies captain’s run yesterday at Forsyth Barr Stadium, leaving early down the tunnel after a team photo was taken.
Arnold will take his spot in the starting side alongside Simmons, with Rodda to line up on the bench.
Rodda, who turned 21 on Sunday, has played just 12 Super Rugby games for the Reds.
It will be a baptism of fire for the youngster Rodda, who will potentially be going up against the likes of All Blacks stalwarts Brodie Rettalick and Sam Whitelock.
On Thursday, Cheika said he liked what he had seen thus far from Rodda since he joined Wallabies camp.
Meanwhile, Cheika has picked Lopeti Timani over Jack Dempsey for the final Wallabies bench spot.
The All Blacks fell apart when the 28-year- old centre was subbed off early in the second half in Sydney last week, and has been called the glue which holds the backs together. Don’t be surprised if coach Steve Hansen asks him to play the full 80 this week, particularly if the match is tight. Was a mixed bag in Bledisloe I, but still carved the All Blacks’ defensive screen open a few times. Surprisingly, the former league star wasn’t utilised with cross-field kicks and bombs. Chances are that will change under the roof.