The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

Bledisloe 1: A tale of two sides of the ditch

15th August, 2016
Advertisement
David Pocock is quality, but where does he fit? (Photo: AFP)
Roar Guru
15th August, 2016
58
2138 Reads

I mean no disrespect to the Welsh team or their fans that toured New Zealand recently but the era of the All Blacks A.M (after McCaw) truly starts this week in Bledisloe Cup 1.

Forget everything that happened in June, it will be a different Wallaby and All Blacks side that will face off on Saturday night. Different because the teams understand the occasion, the history, the quality of the opposition and speed and intensity will be a level up from their last Tests.

The Wallabies build-up has been under a cloud as long as the proverbial one covering the home nation of their opposition. An unexpected and humbling whitewash series defeat to England, and unexpected struggles against Kiwi opposition in Super rugby has left many Australian rugby fans bereft of hope and faith in their side.

On the other side of the ditch, expectations are high after a Super season where most (not all) of the superb rugby was played by New Zealand sides and the All Blacks showed pleasing signs against Wales that their Rolls Royce engine is still humming in tune.

Michael Cheika’s famed motivational strategies and siege mentality will stoke and provoke his charges to channel the pessimism from the press and general public to deliver a performance “the country can be proud of”.

On the other side of the ditch, the All Blacks are always expected to win before a tough-marking press and public. The team will look for improving ball security, defensive security, and accurate decision making to deliver a performance they can be proud of.

Publicly there have been statements from senior players (but not the coach) that the Wallabies need to change the way they play. Their adherence to the running game is admirable but has also made them predictable. It’s also debatable if fans would prefer to see their team just win, or lose playing a style that is more palatable.

On the other side of the ditch, with personnel changes in some key positions, the All Blacks aren’t expected to vary their tactics a great deal in the first Bledisloe. How the team evolves and exploits the high speed, high skill, offloading game played in Super rugby will be keenly watched. The All Blacks are pragmatic and understand the value of knowing style doesn’t come before a win in Test rugby.

Advertisement

The astute recruitment of skills coach Mick Byrne has excited many local fans as to what they can expect to see, but enthusiasm needs to be tempered with patience as the improvement of New Zealand rugby skills evolved over ten years and not four weeks.

On the other side of the ditch there is general acknowledgement that Byrne will be a great asset for Australia. His proactive call to Steve Hansen advising of his plans and offering assurances that he won’t divulge any IP from time spent with the All Blacks was well received and taken at face value. What was noticeable from some Kiwi teams during the finals was their inconsistency under the high ball, which has so long been a strength of their game.

Senior Wallaby players that departed these shores for European clubs have returned amidst murmurings of discontent about whether their spots have been earned at the expense of player development.

On the other side of the ditch the most exciting back in New Zealand rugby this year – Damian McKenzie – has been left behind to cool his heels and continue working on his game. Fans are disappointed but patient – as long as the All Blacks keep winning. Cue calls for team changes if the All Blacks fall this weekend.

The Wallabies are a team that does well when their backs against the wall and they’ve been written off. They have no injury problems and the return of David Pocock cannot be underestimated in terms of his influence in a game. Similarly but not as obvious, the value Kane Douglas offers the team was sorely missing against England. Rob Simmons is a lock-in as he’s the best ball winner and they struggled against England when he was dropped for the second Test and left the field injured during the third Test. Will Skelton, Rory Arnold, Adam Coleman, James Horwill and Dean Mumm were all tried as partners with none securing the position.

The Wallabies have had longer to prepare for this weekend, which will either be seen as an advantage or a disadvantage depending upon the result. The combined Test match experience of the French foreign legion does convey greater assurance and security in the backline, particularly in the back three compared to players available against England.

What is unknown is whether European competitions has blunted their speed, fitness and ability.

Advertisement

Unlike last year the Wallabies won’t be able to build into the Rugby Championship before facing the All Blacks, their best result in this opening championship fixture being a 12-12 draw in 2014. But home advantage is still an advantage.

On the other side of the ditch, the All Blacks have had a settled build-up and are strong favourites to win. On paper the team doesn’t look as solid or balanced in some positions due to form, injuries and retirements.

Four New Zealand teams featuring in the Super Rugby finals is seen as an advantage, but time will tell depending upon the result. Pressure is building on Julian Savea to perform. The public’s patience will only extend so far for one of their favourite sons and regardless of the result, he needs to deliver a timely reminder of why he was the most feared wing in world rugby to justify his continued selection.

The internal battles between Beauden Barrett and Aaron Cruden, Sam Cane and Savea only serve as distractions to fill the vacuum left by two all-time greats of the game. Neither player will weaken the team. An excellent analysis by Ben Strang in this article highlights the different strengths of Cane and Savea.

Winning in Sydney has never been easy for the All Blacks and spending the week on enemy soil will give them a sense of what to expect. Already the barbs thrown by both coaches will ensure there will be more attention to what would otherwise be seen as a foregone conclusion.

close