The rested Wallabies will have a big advantage in their preparation for the Rugby Championship, according to All Blacks coach Steve Hansen.
Top players from New Zealand and South Africa were involved in taxing Super Rugby semi-finals last weekend and one team from each – the Chiefs and Sharks – are spending this week preparing for the final in Hamilton on Saturday.
Australia’s only playoff contenders were the Reds, who were knocked out 10 days ago in the qualifying round.
Hansen said the lack of Australian involvement in the last two weeks of the competition will have allowed Wallabies coach Robbie Deans to focus full attention on the inaugural four-nation Test championship beginning on August 18.
“I think it’s a big advantage to them (Australia),” Hansen told journalists.
“The more preparation time you have, the better chance you have of getting your game organised and your structures built in and the clarity.”
Hansen is overseeing a two-day All Blacks camp in Wellington this week. There are no Chiefs players among the 28 assembling for the camp.
Deans has gathered a 36-strong squad in Sydney for the second of two training camps.
The Wallabies were caught out by a lack of preparation when the players were stunned by Scotland in June, just days after a round of Super Rugby matches.
The All Blacks made a better fist of their opening Test of the season, beating Ireland in handsome style.
“We were very fortunate that we managed to, in a very short period of time, get that sorted against Ireland,” Hansen said.
“But the Rugby Championship is going to be a totally different contest.”
Jerry
Guest
Mostly fringe guys though, barring injuries to established players. The only guys I'd say would be first XV from that list are SBW (and then only for two matches) and possibly Messam.
Kuruki
Roar Guru
Cruden, SBW, Messam, Clarke, Elliot, Cane, Rettalick, Kerr-Barlow. I reckon all these guys will be part of the RC squad.
CraigB
Roar Guru
I guarantee they will get belted
Kuruki
Roar Guru
Aussie may not have the depth we do but they have always managed to put out a strong international side.
Jutsie
Guest
Sam cane too
winston
Guest
There will be few more chiefs than that Johnno Ker Barlow, Retallick, and maybe another surprise or two.
CraigB
Roar Guru
simple - watch the S15 and every team in NZ by the final round was better than every team from Oz. The Wallabies were ordinary in 3 tests against the Welsh and a debacle against the scots. NZ were much, MUCH better even in the 2nd test. The core of the NZ side has only 1 weeks less rest. They will be hardened and hungry, keen to show there will be NO post RWC dip. I can see it from here. I don't like it but it could almost be the tipping point for the long term decline in OZ rugby where they become no more than the socceroos. They will fight and scrap but against the major powers they won't have the weapons.
Bono
Guest
Craig B...Dude, why do you say that? We (nz) are arguably weaker than last year with the loss of Kaino, Thorn, Kahui, Smith and the likes of Dagg and Jane being out of form. You pretty much beat us convincingly in Brisbane last year and the encounters in Australia have always been close affairs. The Aussie games, of which there are two of them will be very close again.
CraigB
Roar Guru
It will make no difference the wallabies will fall by 12+. Auckland will be a blood bath, I wouldn't be surprised to see them fall by more than 20+. NZ too big too fast too strong too good.
Worlds biggest
Guest
Yes DC, the last two Bledisloe's in Sydney have been 1 pointers. Reckon this will be another close one, the Wallabies generally step up at home. AB's as always will be favourites and rightly so.
Yeah, the calendar has become a little full, so recovery times have been compromised.
Johnno
Guest
reality is Bbek both can be achieved i would have a week gap for the grand final that is fine as series is only 3weeks now, 4 week finals like most sports have won't kill off momentum waiting an extra week,
Yeah, I was secretly hoping the stormers would win for the same reason, but then I have enjoyed the way the Sharks played this season. It is difficult sometimes to decide where your priorities should lie, Super Xv success or Rugby championship success. Usually for me the Boks win out on priority.
Bono
Guest
Totally agree biltongbek. I was kindda happy to see the Crusaders knocked out for this reason even though I prefer them to the Chiefs. The forwards are the ones who get the physical battering and I feel that the Sharks success might have an impact on the boks.
Johnno
Guest
-Hansen just playing mind games reality is chiefs who will be AB's is quite small . Kahui is injured anyway so not available. -SBW, maybe and i say maybe hika elliot but he has warmed the bench a lot to Mo schwalger who is better anyway, so elliot will be fresh if he is even picked. -Cruden is a back anyway so not as drained and has had rests at times in season. -Liam Messam maybe will be in AB's. but reality is not that many pretty thin, . And SBW has had a few rests in season anyway.
There in lies te problem for the Boks, the bulk of their forward pack will come from the sharks, and they meet the strong Argentinian forwards within 14 days of the final, I wrote an article about it, not sure when it will be placed though.
Bono
Guest
If the Crusaders had made the final, it might have been an issue because the core of the AB's, especially the forwards come from them. The way it's turned out, the wallabies only get an extra week off really.
Armchair Sportsfan
Guest
“The more preparation time you have, the better chance you have of getting your game organised and your structures built in and the clarity.” Structure and clarity in the Wallabies?...hahaha
DC of nz
Guest
I am picking the Sydney test to be a close one ...as it has been in the last two clashes here in the big smoke ...
Wal The Hooker
Guest
Wouldn't write the WB's off and their is merit in Hansen's statement the injury toll has already upset the AB's first 17 IMHO. Sydney won't be walk in for the AB's that's for sure. There's still no word on Read's injury and Romano going down last weekend is a big hit for the AB pack. We all know the big games are won upfront, the loss of Smith for mine isn't as great as losing a couple of key forwards. Go the Chiefs