Beale, Hodge the men in New Zealand sights
NEW Zealand will launch Operation Get Kurtley in defence and Get Hodge in attack as they seek to keep their 16-year Bledisloe Cup streak alive.
The Wallabies’ new centre combination of Kurtley Beale and Reece Hodge is where the All Blacks see their opportunity to strike but Hodge is confident they can repel the pressure in tomorrow’s first Test in Sydney.
The Kiwis have gone for the Crusaders duo of Ryan Crotty and Jack Goodhue, who have played together for two years, to exploit the Beale-Hodge partnership. Crotty made the All Blacks’ intentions clear around defending Beale – Australia’s most deadly attacker. “With Kurtley, you have to limit his space – if he has space he will make you pay,” Crotty said. “Defensively we have to get our alignment right and having men on their feet so we have the ability to bring that line speed and take their time and space way.
“It’s not so much an individual thing but more a system thing for our defence. We have to slow that ruck ball down and get off the line to stop someone as talented as Kurtley is.”
While Crotty and Goodhue have only started one Test together, Hodge says their Super Rugby combo in the back-toback titles for the Crusaders makes them formidable foes.
“I expect them to target down that channel between 13 and wing,” Hodge said.