Tonga time ABs put World Cup on hold
One last chance before the big dance.
That is the way both the All Blacks and Tonga go into their test in Hamilton this afternoon – a final precursor before the bigger fish await their frying in Japan.
It’s a test with nothing on the line, but at the same time it’s one for each unit to gain from as they enter World Cup mode.
It will be one-way traffic, however. The scoreboard attendants at FMG Stadium Waikato may as well be made redundant this weekend, as coaches and players alike will be searching deeper than that.
What lies ahead over the next couple of months is why the All Blacks have made the point to their squad this week that there is indeed a purpose to this occasion.
The fixture was put on the calendar to ensure there wasn’t a repeat of the five-week break in 2015 between their big Bledisloe Cupsealing win over the Wallabies in Auckland, and their scratchy, illdisciplined World Cup opener against Argentina at Wembley.
This time around ensures just a two-week gap for most of the squad, before the important opening pool game against South Africa in Yokohama on September 21.
‘‘You can sense excitement in all of them, and a little bit of nervousness too, because it’s only human nature that they think about what’s coming next,’’ All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said.
‘‘That’s why the message has been really important that we are where our feet are, and we’re right here, right now, and concentrating on what we’re doing. And then we get this job out of the way, then we can get really excited.’’
While injury niggles to Dane Coles, Sam Cane, Richie Mo’unga, Jack Goodhue, Sonny Bill Williams and Rieko Ioane have thrown a spanner in the works, there are opportunities for some others.
Chiefly in that category is veteran outside back Ben Smith, who Hansen admitted had lost his selfconfidence in a form slump that saw him demoted from the wing for the team’s last outing.
Although the twin-playmaking 10-15 combination of Mo’unga and Beauden Barrett looks set to stay, Smith gets a run at his accustomed home of fullback with the chance to demonstrate he still has the goods for either a starting wing berth or a bench option going forward.
The hitout should also do the world of good for midfielder Ryan Crotty, who returns from a broken thumb, while openside flanker Matt Todd gets a rare start, and, on the bench, rookie loosie Luke Jacobson has a good opportunity to bank a second cap, and non-World Cup squad member Josh Ioane a first.
For Tonga, the objectives might not be as ambitious, but it’s a game they couldn’t be happier with having on their schedule, as they aim for a historic World Cup quarterfinal berth.
In a fortnight, they face England, followed by Argentina, France and the United States, in potentially the toughest of the tournament’s pools.
The world No 15 have been patchy in recent times – defeated
29-19 by Fiji at Eden Park last Saturday, after a Pacific Nations Cup campaign that saw them lose
25-17 to Samoa in Apia and 41-7 to Japan in Higashiosaka, before beating Canada 33-23 in Lautoka.
They have gone up against the All Blacks five times previously, and just once outside a World Cup.
Captain Siale Piutau has played in the last two of those meetings – the 41-10 and 47-9 defeats at the 2011 and 2015 World Cups, respectively – and is trying to prime his side for the big step up in accuracy and speed that facing New Zealand will bring.
‘‘The difference in playing the All Blacks and all the other teams is just how well that they do the basics,’’ he said.
‘‘You try and prep as much as you can, you analyse them, and it’s not till you’re on the field and you can hear their comms [communication] ... the way they play, it’s simple, but they do everything effectively.’’
But no matter how well the visitors fare, they are sure to have a passionate supporter base on hand, with a sea of red set to pack the joint in scenes sure to be reminiscent of the 2017 Rugby League World Cup, which, combined with an afternoon kickoff, give the recipe for an entertaining occasion.
‘‘We’re right here, right now, and concentrating on what we’re doing.’’ All Blacks coach Steve Hansen