Kiwi backlash awaits Wallabies

The All Blacks will be out to reassert their dominance as the wounded Wallabies look to the return of Kurtley Beale to trigger an upset in tomorrow’s Rugby Championship opener in Sydney.

The world champions have been reviewing what went wrong in their unexpected series draw with the British and Irish Lions at home last month and are hellbent on rebounding against the Australians in Sydney.

The Lions defied the odds to down the All Blacks 24-21 in Wellington to take their series to a decider only for the final Auckland match to end in a 15-15 stalemate.

That inability to put away the Lions raised doubts whether the All Blacks’ era of dominance was on the wane after they were shocked by Ireland 40-29 in Chicago last November.

The All Blacks have dominated the Wallabies – losing only three of their last 29 trans-Tasman encounters – and are expected to do it again as Australian rugby looks to emerge from a woeful season.

Sonny Bill Williams (pictured) returns after serving his fourmatch suspension, while Jerome Kaino has been dropped for the Olympic Stadium Test.

In a revamped line-up with six changes, only halves Beauden Barrett and Aaron Smith remain from the starting backline, while Damian McKenzie gets his chance at fullback.

Double World Cup winner Williams has not played for seven weeks since being suspended for a dangerous shoulder charge and a straight red card in the second Test against the Lions.

At stake against the Wallabies are not only points in the Rugby Championship, which also includes South Africa and Argentina, but also the Bledisloe Cup, the symbol of trans-Tasman rugby supremacy.

It has been firmly in New Zealand hands since 2003.

The return of inside-back Beale for his first Test since the World Cup final with New Zealand at Twickenham on October 30, 2015, is seen as a boost for the Aussies.

Beale will be starting with other Wallaby king-pins Israel Folau and Bernard Foley for the first time. – AFP