Remember the All Blacks? Bledisloe battle kicks off
Bullish Wallabies promise to provide stern challenge
Rugby
It is time for the real All Blacks of Ian Foster’s to stand up.
The second-year head coach, who just happens to be in contract year, has anointed his chosen ones and empowered them to deliver a performance that will not just quieten their critics, but put one paw on the Bledisloe Cup.
Last year, amidst the postpandemic turmoil, the All Blacks won half their tests in a reshaped international programme consisting of four tests against the Wallabies and two versus Argentina. By anyone’s standards that represented a poor return and, to their credit, New Zealand’s finest were the first to raise their hands and say, ‘‘not good enough’’.
This year, starting in tonight’s Bledisloe opener against the Wallabies, they have to be better. We (the watching public) demand it. They (the All Blacks) demand it. And you would think that Foster’s bosses at national HQ would also have it on their to-do list as they ponder that all-important contract extension.
Some things are in their favour. Some aren’t.
The schedulers, and Covid gods, have been kind, handing the All Blacks unprecedented back-to-back Bledisloe tests at their Eden Park fortress before they hit the road, possibly for good. They haven’t lost there since 1994’s 22-20 defeat to France, and the Wallabies haven’t won there since their 22-9 victory in 1986.
History wears many cloaks, but the odds look squarely in the All Blacks’ favour. A perusal at their last half-dozen clashes against the Wallabies at Eden Park shows six one-sided results, with an average winning margin of 28.3 points.
Balancing that is the All Blacks’ propensity for scratchy first-up efforts.
Remember last year? The New Zealanders never found their best stuff against an equally underdone Wallabies outfit in Wellington and were lucky to scrape out a 16-16 draw.
There is no doubting the Wallabies are the better prepared. Their hard-fought 2-1 series victory in July over a quality France side – albeit missing a squadron of firstchoice types – has them crossing the ditch with a strut in their step. Nothing changes there.
There have been reports the Wallabies fancy their chances of applying the squeeze up front, of dominating in the loose and denying the All Blacks, untested in July, that front-foot ball they so thrive on.
For a side that has suffered 18 consecutive failed tilts at winning back the Bledisloe Cup, they do a good job of putting a positive spin on their plight.
As All Blacks hooker Codie Taylor noted: ‘‘One of our All Blacks legends Owen Franks said it back in the day: no matter what the score is and how well you’re playing against them, they’ll always back themselves to come back and always stay in the fight. That’s just the Australian mindset and it’s up to us to take that away.’’
Foster shrugged off the Aussie bullishness after unveiling his first top lineup of 2021. Notably it contains three Barretts on the bench, Richie Mo’unga and Damian McKenzie in the playmaker axis and a slightly underdone Dalton Papalii in the loose trio alongside Ardie Savea and Akira Ioane.
Rookie loosehead prop George Bower also gets the crack in Joe Moody’s absence, while the intriguing David Havili forms the All Blacks’ latest midfield pairing alongside the redoubtable Anton Lienert-Brown.
‘‘It’s not about responding to external stimulus,’’ said Foster when asked how his forwards would answer the Australian flexing.
‘‘It’s that internal drive in ourselves to be the best we can be. The reality is [pre-test chat] doesn’t make any difference. We have to play a game we’ve prepared to play and that involves us being really effective and physical in the way we play as well. There will be no surprises in the intensity.’’
Despite all the interest in the All Blacks backs, with Rieko Ioane returning to the left wing and Havili assuming so much responsibility in a position that hasn’t been his preferred one for a while, this test will hinge on the big men in black.
Savea expects fireworks up front. ‘‘The French series showed their loose trio are on. They’re strong, physical ball-carriers, [Michael] Hooper is world class . . . if we can walk towards that challenge, we can nullify them because they’re the guys that get their game going forward.’’
There is a suspicion gaining currency offshore that these All Blacks forwards are short of the mark. Their coach John Plumtree was certainly less than enthused about last year’s overall effort. Brodie Retallick is back, and trusted with a start. They should be primed.
‘‘We have to play a game we’ve prepared to play and that involves us being really effective and physical.’’ Ian Foster
All Blacks coach
The Wallabies? Kiwi coach Dave Rennie laid down some marker when he suspended a trio of miscreants, including influential back Marika Koribete, for overstepping the mark on a night out.
To Taylor that sent a clear message. ‘‘That will fire them up. The team will want to perform and show they’re still unified. They will still bring the same level of confidence they always have.’’
Foster, notably short with the media on Thursday when discussing selections, shrugs off the pressure factor. ‘‘There’s always pressure ...we love it, and it doesn’t change anything. Both teams know each other pretty well. There will be no major surprises.’’
All Blacks fans will certainly hope not.