Wallabies, or Wobblies?
This could get messy. While Australian rugby has wobbled from one major problem to the next ahead of the Bledisloe Cup match in Sydney tonight, the All Blacks have spent the last week twisting their own dials in a bid to reach boiling point at ANZ Stadium.
The idea, of course, is for coach Steve Hansen to have his All Blacks in such a glassy-eyed state before kickoff that they can ruthlessly suck the energy out of the Wallabies and add another layer of misery to the embattled sports organisation in the Land of Oz.
Less than two years ago, when the Wallabies met the All Blacks in the World Cup final in Twickenham, and coach Michael Cheika was named as World Rugby’s coach of the year, the Aussies were on the cusp of being the kings of the rugby world.
The downward spiral of Australian rugby makes for grim reading. They are searching for a new chief executive in the wake of Bill Pulver’s recent resignation, are set to be embroiled in messy divorce proceedings after chopping the Western Force, not one of their clubs could beat a New Zealand side in 26 attempts in Super Rugby, and the projected crowd of 50-55,000 for this match ANZ Stadium will be record low for a Bledisloe Cup match at the Olympic venue.
The Brumbies were the only Australian team to qualify for the Super Rugby playoffs, and got dumped out when they lost to the Hurricanes in the quarterfinal. Hansen would have preferred to see more Aussies involved in the physically demanding suddendeath series.
‘‘While their franchise fans probably weren’t overly excited about the fact that they got knocked out early, I would rather have seen them play through the finals and have less preparation time,’’ Hansen said.
He was also adamant the Wallabies had enough talent to field a decent side and then added: ‘‘The third thing that makes them really dangerous is their desire to help Australian rugby, and at the moment it’s got a bit of a cloud over it.’’
That final statement is no exaggeration. But given the All Blacks drew 1-1 in the series with the British and Irish Lions, Wallabies supporters holding their half-full drinking jars aloft will say that proved the world champions can be toppled.
Such optimism is to be admired. But if Cheika and his captain Michael Hooper are to empower their team to sling a rock between the eyes of the New Zealand giant they must get every detail, tactically and executionwise, right.
Hansen and his fellow selectors haven’t panicked in the wake of the disappointing 15-15 draw to the Lions in the third test in Auck- Criticised for a lacklustre series against the British and Irish Lions, the heat is on the electric play-maker to return to his best and steer a talent-laden back-line around ANZ Stadium. A hard track will suit his running game, but will he turn up with his kicking boots?
land; embedding Damian McKenzie at fullback provides a potent counter-attacking threat if the Wallabies’ kicking game is sloppy.
Cheika will have analysed how the Lions used their defensive strategies to limit the All Blacks’ time and space with the ball, and is likely to employ a rushing line to put pressure on the midfield pairing of Sonny Bill Williams and Ryan Crotty and prevent them getting clean ball to their wings.
A first-up win in the three-test series for the Aussies gives them the chance to reclaim the cup for the first time since 2003. Cheika will have to cook up something special if he is do what Ewen McKenzie, Robbie Deans, John Connolly and Eddie Jones couldn’t between 2004-2014
Hansen reinforced the obvious, that he doesn’t want to be in charge when the Bledisloe goes west.
‘‘Someone is going to lose it, I guess, but you don’t want to be that person.’’ 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 10pm tonight ANZ Stadium, Sydney 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.
KEY PLAYER
Confirmed as Australia’s new captain earlier this month, the 25-year-old will have to be at his best to give the Wallabies a sniff. He’ll back himself to get the better of opposite Sam Cane, but whether or not he gets enough help from the rest of his pack is the question. 1: The All Blacks are smarting after failing to convert an emphatic firsttest win against the Lions into series victory, annoyed about uncharacteristic unforced errors that undermined their chances, and are hungry to reassert their dominance. 2: selection at fullback, forcing former World Player
KEY PLAYER
of the Year Ben Smith to the wing, and the squad omission of prolific tryscorer Julian Savea once again highlights the All Blacks’ embarrassment of riches at their disposal. 3: The Wallabies bouncing back from last year’s 108-27 three-test aggregate series loss would require the biggest turnaround in history, not to mention a huge form reversal after Australia’s five state franchises combined for a collective nonefrom-26 against New Zealand Super Rugby rivals in 2017. 4: While the All Blacks are battlehardened from a gruelling series with the Lions and four Kiwi teams reaching the Super Rugby finals, most of the Wallabies haven’t played for five weeks, raising serious fitness doubts. 5: The All Blacks’ off-field dramas could prove a distraction but they could also galvanise the wounded beast and set the scene for some fierce backlash for the Wallabies.