All Blacks eye perfection in last match against Boks
GOLD COAST: New Zealand will look to cement their claim as top dogs in the southern hemisphere when they close the Rugby Championship against South Africa today after Argentina seek a facesaving win over Australia at the end of a wretched campaign.
The undefeated All Blacks have already snatched the Springboks’ world No.1 ranking and sealed the title last week with victory over the world champions in Townsville in the 100th Test between the sides.
But coach Ian Foster wants no slipups on the Gold Coast before they head to the northern hemisphere for the first time in two seasons.
“We were delighted with the result last week, but weren’t as delighted with the performance,” he said.
“We want to take the things we learned and apply them.”
South Africa, after successive defeats to Australia, were back to their powerful best in the Townsville thriller but still fell short as it came down to a kicking
duel with a late Jordie Barrett penalty giving New Zealand a 19-17 win.
The ground has shifted beneath their
feet against the trans-Tasman teams, and another defeat to New Zealand will place coach Jacques Nienaber under further pressure as their World Cup triumph in Japan shrinks further in the rearview mirror.
South Africa captain Siya Kolisi has promised maximum effort from his side in their final clash as they look to end a disappointing tour Down Under with a victory.
There have been signs of mental fatigue in recent weeks, which could undermine the South Africans’ efforts to avoid a fourth straight defeat, but Kolisi said they were working with the same intensity as always in training.
“We miss our families, but we are here to do a job, we knew what we signed up for before we got on the plane,” he said. “The mood is down because we have been losing. But our focus is to make sure we finish the tour strong.”
For Argentina, a tough tournament took a farcical turn on Thursday when six of their players and two staff members were banned from the final clash against the Wallabies for breaching Covid-19 rules.
Back row enforcer Pablo Matera, stripped of the captaincy during last year’s Tri-Nations amid a racism storm, was among the offenders who took an unauthorised day trip to a New South Wales resort and were then barred from returning to the Gold Coast by police at a state border.
Mario Ledesma’s Pumas, who have lost all five of their games so far, face a Wallabies side enjoying a rare rush of confidence after upsetting South Africa twice and notching a comfortable 27-8 win over the Argentines.
Australia coach Dave Rennie has granted leave to winger Marika Koroibete and prop Allan Alaalatoa, whose departure paves the way for 38-year-old tighthead Greg Holmes to become the oldest player to represent the Wallabies in a Test since World War Two.
FIXTURES
(kick-offs Thai time) At Cbus Super Stadium: Argentina v Australia (2.05pm), New Zealand v South Africa (5.05pm)