Rugby Update: New Zealand's All Blacks confident of sealing Tri-Nation crown against under-fire Wallabies
All Blacks would be hoping to keep their momentum going when they face their arch-rivals Australia in a decisive Test match at Christchurch. New Zealand comes to this match after overhauling Springboks in two successive matches and humiliating Australia with the score of 49-28 in Melbourne last week. With these three bonus point victories in their pocket, Kiwis are in firm control of this year’s Tri-Nations.
If they defeat Australians in Christchurch, they will not only establish their reign over southern hemisphere but will also keep Bledisloe Cup silverware for at least another year. In last encounter between the two sides, All Blacks dominated their Trans-Tasman rivals. However, the focus was on the referee, who sent Australian winger Drew Mitchell during an encounter which saw 10 tries. Some may argue the controversial role of match officials during the match but it was the strategy and performance of All Blacks which needs praise. It was entertaining to watch Kiwis opening up Australian defence through their brilliantly engineered counter-attack.
On the other hand, Wallabies will need to bring change in their game plan if they want to survive their rival’s onslaughts. Wallabies’ coach Robbie Deans will need to find a blend of power and pace, if they want to stop All Blacks’ juggernauts. In the last match, there were continuously opened up by New Zealand’s attack. They failed to put New Zealand under any significant pressure, despite getting lead early in the match through a try. In the end, it was their indiscipline and inaccuracy which turned out to be their Achilles’ heel. The absence of Quade Cooper was clearly felt in Wallabies’ play as the playmaking in the midfield was missing. Deans’ team will also be handicapped in Christchurch through the absence of Cooper.
For Deans, it will be bittersweet return to the town where he made his name as coach of an era-defining Crusaders Super Rugby franchise. Meanwhile, Matt Giteau is expected to retain No. 10 shirt and will be responsible for charging the Aussies’ backline with much needed spark. Similarly, Adam Ashley Cooper will be in centre as he will be pairing with Faingaa to form a physical midfield outfit. Skipper Rocky Elsom will continue to hold blindside, while duo of David Pocock and Richard Brown will complete the back-row.
On the other hand, Graham Henry will be making only one change. Piri Weepu will replace Jimmy Cowan, who injured himself during the last encounter, at scrum-half. However, there will be some changes in the bench with the inclusion of Alby Mathewson as No.9, while Benson Stanley will replace Israel Dagg. In a season full of achievements for All Blacks, Joe Rokocoko will add another feat to his illustrious career, as he will become the All Blacks' most-capped winger. Similarly, centre Ma'a Nonu will get his 50th Test cap, whereas prop Tony Woodcock will notch 67th cap, which will make him the most-capped prop in All Blacks history.
Meanwhile, Australian camp is optimistic about their chances against their arch-rivals. They are hopeful that they would not allow All Blacks to claim 9 straight victories over their Trans-Tasman rivals. Adam Ashley Cooper, who started in all of last eight consecutive losses to the Kiwis, is hopeful that his team won’t allow this streak to extend to an all-time record of nine defeats.
Talking to media, he said, “It's not a mental block. We believe we can beat this New Zealand team. Obviously my last eight encounters haven't been so successful but it's not a hoodoo for us, it just presents a bigger challenge and one that Australians embrace and enjoy.” He further added, “I would say that New Zealand have performed out of their skin and are playing the best rugby they have over the last couple of years. This week (Deans) has given us a licence to be very aggressive. And that's important, to bring that intensity.”
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