After months of anticipation, preparation for the Rugby World Cup is cranked up a notch tonight as the All Blacks host the Wallabies in what will undoubtedly be another epic Bledisloe Cup encounter. Join us from 5.30pm AEST for New Zealand v Australia, live from Eden Park.
View Wallabies v All Blacks Sat 27th August live blog here.
As one of the premier fixtures on Australia’s sporting calendar, the Bledisloe Cup, with its rich history and fierce trans-Tasman rivalry, has never been short of interest, and this mouth-watering match-up will be no different.
Much has been made of Australia’s fearless brigade of young stars, spearheaded by the irrepressible halves pairing of Will Genia and Quade Cooper, who steered the Queensland Reds to their inaugural Super Rugby title last month.
The feeling within the Australian rugby community is that the likes of Genia, Cooper, James O’Connor and David Pocock will not be burdened by the mental scars that have plagued past Wallabies teams that have travelled to New Zealand.
Typically, this has been interpreted on the other side of the ditch as a “lack of respect”, and Cooper’s incident with Richie McCaw in Hong Kong last year will undoubtedly be fresh in the minds of an uncompromising All Blacks pack keen to let the Australian upstarts know they are in NZ territory.
As is often the case in test match Rugby, the battle of the forwards will be crucial to the outcome of this match.
The peerless McCaw will lineup alongside experienced campaigners Brad Thorn, Kevin Mealamu and Ali Williams, and if Pocock, Rocky Elsom and James Horwill are unable to match their New Zealand counterparts at the breakdown, it could very well be a long night for the Wallabies.
It is hard to remember a Bledisloe encounter with so much hinging on the result. On one side, an All Blacks side teeming with experience might use this to stamp out one of their main challengers for the 2011 World Cup, but on the other, an up-and-coming Wallabies unit can end a 25-year hoodoo at Eden Park and bounce into next month’s World Cup with the knowledge that they need not fear anyone.
This all points to a cliff-hanger, and quite simply, it is not to be missed. Join us from 5.30pm (AEST) for live scores and blog for what is the highlight of the sporting weekend.
Teams:
New Zealand: 1. Wyatt Crockett, 2. Keven Mealamu, 3. Owen Franks, 4. Brad Thorn, 5. Ali Williams, 6. Jerome Kaino, 7. Richie McCaw (captain), 8. Kieran Read, 9. Piri Weepu, 10. Dan Carter, 11. Hosea Gear, 12. Ma’a Nonu, 13. Conrad Smith, 14. Sitiveni Sivivatu, 15. Mils Muliaina.
Reserves: 16. Andrew Hore, 17. Ben Franks, 18. Sam Whitelock, 19. Adam Thomson, 20. Andy Ellis, 21. Colin Slade, 22. Sonny Bill Williams.
Australia: 1. Sekope Kepu, 2. Stephen Moore, 3. Ben Alexander, 4. Rob Simmons, 5. James Horwill, 6. Rocky Elsom (captain), 7. David Pocock, 8. Ben McCalman, 9. Will Genia, 10. Quade Cooper, 11. Digby Ioane, 12. Pat McCabe, 13. Adam Ashley-Cooper, 14. James O’Connor, 15. Kurtley Beale.
Reserves: 16. Saia Fainga’a, 17. Pekahou Cowan, 18. Dan Vickerman, 19. Scott Higginbotham, 20. Luke Burgess, 21. Anthony Fainga’a, 22. Lachie Turner.
Referee: Craig Joubert (SA).
Assistant referees: Marius Jonker (SA), Christie Du Preez (SA).
Kick-off time: 5.30pm (AEST).
TV: LIVE on FOX Sports 3HD and 3, Channel 9 (NSW, QLD, WA, NT) GEM (VIC, SA), WIN (TAS, ACT)
Canon
Guest
Err you might want to read his comments again. Try sticking your tongue in your cheek before you do though - it might help ;)
Mr
Guest
Katzilla, what happened? You got pawned......
cookee
Guest
spiro, and what is deans percentage wins after samoa and bledisloe losses? no shares in ARU thank god with clowns at the helm how many more years does this restructuring take after 4 years?
jeremy
Guest
Ummm...yeah. You're gonna need to revise your prediction.
kb
Guest
How does that taste?
nick
Guest
so awesome to get upto date snipets of the game cheers
BBR
Guest
Gen Y may now ask why
Bazza all black
Guest
Hehehehehehehehehe Maybe the Aussies should have not talked themselves up....
Jerry
Guest
Exactly how forward does Cooper have to pass before it gets pulled up?
Peter Breckenridge
Roar Guru
Cooper converts. So with 9 points on the park wouldn't have been a closer game? And finally, finally the Ws actually win a restart. They get a penalty and Higgers breaks free, but PENALTY ABs for not releasing? Why isn't Higgers starting? McCalman, does not have the impact that Higgers does. and the ABs clear, win the lineout. but they regroup through Read. Gear brushes off JOC. SBW goes wide to Smith. And turnover to Ws. Cooper goes wide to AAC. Higgers again. AAC goes froward Cooper now a turnover and a Kick and chase but PENALTY for holding on as the siren sounds. But turnover and dropped ball, but that is the end of the game. A lot of sole surching for the Ws after this one. FULLTIME Live score: All Blacks 30 – Walalbies 14
Peter Breckenridge
Roar Guru
The ABs win the lineout. they trudge it up, but stolen and elsom goes ahead and the Ws get a PENALTY. A chance to clear. The Ws win the lineout and go wide but the ball is stripped from Beale they chip ahead, Ioane chases, turnover they go wide, and elsom scores TRY!!! But its too little too late. 75′ Live score: All Blacks 30 – Walalbies 12
Peter Breckenridge
Roar Guru
Good ABs scrum, CArter to smith to Mils to Gear, wrapped up. Ellis to carter to read. They go again to SBW who gets hit but gets it away. Carter puts it up JOC takes it but the ABS turnover by McCaw and Pocock penalised for off his feet. Carter goes deep. 73′ Live score: All Blacks 30 – Walalbies 7
Peter Breckenridge
Roar Guru
Poor kick offs and receptions have hurt the Ws. and McCabe goes forward but smashed again. Cooper, to Genia.makes ground but the ABs defence is outstanding! Ioane goes ahead. Cooper to Higgers, chips ahead but into touch. ABs lineout, get a chance to regroup. Carter chips ahaed, Cooper to JOC, top chasing again. they short again. turnover. ABs turn it over. Genia to AAC real keystone cops stuff now, knock on. 70′ Live score: All Blacks 30 – Walalbies 7
Peter Breckenridge
Roar Guru
ABs with 5m scrum, and they go for a push over, penalty ABs. they go for goal. Carter lines up and CONVERTS! GOAL! What's that sound? Could it be the fat lady warming up? No she is in full voice. So the Ws still can not win at Eden Park. Can the Ws halt the charge as SBW comes on. 67′ Live score: All Blacks 30 – Walalbies 7
Jerry
Guest
Also got away with an offside after the knock on.
Peter Breckenridge
Roar Guru
Whitelock on for Williams. kcik through, Cooper throws it to noone! JOC cleans up, what was Cooper thinking? OMG! 66′ Live score: All Blacks 27 – Walalbies 7
Peter Breckenridge
Roar Guru
Well the ABs have a scrum, they have certainly put a line in the sand for the RWC. Their backs look set, and the kick ahead. and clear to the Ws 10m line. They go ahead through Kano, Carter again, what can they do? Any score and that is goodnight, but the Ws turn it over, McCabe goes ahead, Genia to Cooper but poor pass to Beale. and knock on. Poor poor play and if lucky as it would have been a penalty for a shepard if the pass had stuck. 63′ Live score: All Blacks 27 – Walalbies 7
Peter Breckenridge
Roar Guru
The Ws clear fron here. good kick from Genia finds touch on teh half way. the ABs make changes with Hore on and the Ws win the lineout, McCabe turns it over but the ABs throw it into touch. Weepu is replace but he has done his job. Kept Genia and Cooper quiet. The ABs win the Lineout. and the Wallabies start again. JOC grassed, teh Ws try to truck it up. Higgers, goes through, the Ws go short to Ioane. but gr8 ABs defence. Elsom well met. and turned over. More pain looming as SBW warms up. 62′ Live score: All Blacks 27 – Walalbies 7
Peter Breckenridge
Roar Guru
Cooper kicks off, the ABs secure the ball. Big difference between the kickoffs as the ABs go on teh attack again. Nonue to Thorn. Nonu again. turnover to the Ws and dropped by Beale over the sideline. Think that sums up the Ws tonight. As the ABs go through with Kano, Nonu, wave after wave of ABs, surely they will score from here. Finally the ref realises that if the ball is dropped forward it is a knock on. He seems to have missed them from both teams. 55′ Live score: All Blacks 27 – Walalbies 7
Frankie
Guest
Listening to NZ radio broadcast. What a shocker, they should realise the listeners do NOT have pictures. Have a listen to how the BBC does it muppets!