The All Blacks will target uncapped five-eighth Matt Toomua in a bid to starve Australia’s hungry backs and ultimately deny the Wallabies first blood in the Bledisloe Cup opener on Saturday night.
New Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie has surprisingly thrust Toomua into the playmaking hot seat, leaving Quade Cooper to wait for his chance off the bench, and the All Blacks are making no secret of their intentions to make life as difficult as possible for the Test rookie.
Back for his first Test in almost nine months after a well-earned sabbatical, All Blacks captain Richie McCaw on Friday said the world champions needed to shut down Toomua to cut off Australia’s ball supply to match-winning winger Israel Folau.
“I have been impressed with the way he led the Brumbies around the park,” McCaw said after New Zealand’s brief captain’s run at ANZ Stadium.
“We have to make sure we don’t allow him to do that. It’s up to us to deny him time and good ball and put him under pressure. That’s one of our jobs.
“Test rugby is different, but you look across the skills of those guys and there’s no reason why they can’t do a job if it’s put on a plate for them.”
Wallabies vice-captain Will Genia, who will partner Toomua in the halves, has no doubts the 23-year-old will handle himself in the Bledisloe cauldron.
“He’s a very composed sort of guy,” Genia said.
“He’s been thrown the five-eighth jumper for his first Test against the All Blacks, but he’s taken it in his stride throughout the week and I’ll be expecting nothing less tomorrow.”
Folau has enjoyed a spectacular first season in the code, bagging a tryscoring double on his Test debut against the British and Irish Lions before being crowned Australia’s Super Rugby rookie of the year last week.
McCaw said the dual international must be contained.
“He’s a skilful athlete. He’s a big man. His skills under the high ball and what-not is pretty good but, again, if we don’t give him much time to show those, hopefully we can limit his impact,” McCaw said.
McCaw’s only game time since New Zealand suffered a shock loss to England at Twickenham last November has been an 80-minute club match, two late bench appearances for the Crusaders and half a game against Canterbury in an All Blacks squad hitout last Friday.
Yet the ironman flanker was still preparing to last the full 80 minutes in his 118th Test match.
“I feel mentally in a good shape and I’ve done a lot of training,” he said.
He admitted the All Blacks would miss destructive blindside flanker Liam Messam, a late scratching with a hamstring strain, and said the onus was on him and his replacement Steven Luatua to step up.
“The way he’s played this year, especially with the Chiefs and what he did for us last year, he definitely brings a real physical edge and not having him there, I guess he’s left a bit of a hole,” McCaw said.
The All Blacks arrived an hour and a half late for their captain’s run and only spent 20 minutes getting a feel for the stadium during a light run on match eve.
“We did a few lineouts in a gym nearby,” McCaw said.
“We thought we would do it away from prying eyes.”
Justin3
Guest
The defence rests...
Ben.S
Roar Guru
I suggest you look at the Australian side that started the 1st Lions Test and compare it man for man with this one.
I think it is a ruse, the All Blacks are more likely to target Mogg.
Justin3
Guest
Toomua needs to step up above his super form which was solid, not spectacular. He is a good player not great IMO.
Justin3
Guest
Of course it was personal, he wasn't even in deans 30 man squad.
Kuruki
Roar Guru
Mean. Lucky bugger.
Maori sidestep
Guest
I'm at A N Z now can't bloody wait. Oh yeah 4 EVA ALL BLACKS.
Tane Mahuta
Guest
Not sure what Moore has to do with it. Ben S. it seems my oversimplification wasnt simple enough for you. Kimlin, Palu, Ioane, Higginbotham and TPN are injured so McKenzie couldnt select them and he has used others instead. Would the team be even more similar to Deans team if they were available. I would say absolutely. The centre combo is the same, the prop combo is the same, the lock combo is one Deans often used, all 3 of the back 3 were used by Deans in their positions. Cooper was selected and got 40 caps under Deans. The talk is that McKenzie has "finally" selected on form. And yet 90% of the players used wete in Robbies squad at the start of the year and a few of the new guys are just replacing injured players from the Deans era. Whats new? The new thing is Fardy replacing the injured Kimlin, Toomua replacing JOC at 10 after JOC failed to solidify the 10 spot after only 3 games. Every player thats starting except for Toomua was selected and used in their position they are playing on sat by Deans. If Deans had selected this 15 you would say little had changed but since McKenzie did it its all new. Its not. JOC has played all but 4 of his recent test as a wing, Genia at half, AAC, at 13, Mogg at 15, Folau at 14, Slipper at 1, Moore at 2, Alexander at 3, Simmons and Horwill at 4 & 5, Lealiifano at 12, Mowen, Hooper and MMM in the backrow. All of these players are not new in their spots. They were all used there by Deans as form ebbed and flowed and injuries played their part. Simple enough?
Jereme Lane
Roar Guru
I think the lack of a first choice backrow is a huge factor in the choice of fly half. I believe we'll see a Brumbies spoiling gameplan tonight with a bit more counter attack. I highly doubt Mckenzie sees toomua as his first choice for the whole RC...
Bazza Allblack Supporter
Roar Rookie
Sir Richie will be a target as usual. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10913510
Kebab
Guest
Good luck MT you have earned it . It is only our defence that may keep us in the game that is why poor quadie was not picked. Pure and simple. Plus MT has been in pressure games for weeks now and delivered .
walshie
Guest
Forwards win games NOT backs. Toomua will not see enough ball. Ewen forgot the first rule - pick forwards who will muscle or at least not be outmuscled.
Roarer
Guest
He hasn't according to Specsavers.
Sir HC
Guest
I really hope MT last longer than Lilo did in his 1st test!,
Dave
Guest
Cruden's defence is not the greatest, so the plan must be for Toomua to fly out of the line and rattle him on defence, and effectively repeat that tactic in attack. Toomua does run straight and hard at the line, has an excellent ability to offload in the tackle, and can also produce deceptive inside balls. I would envisage JOC and Izzy running of his shoulder from first phase as the key attacking threat the wallabies will present. To get into that position, he and Mogg will use Brumbies style tactics of field position, and we can pressure the NZ throw into the lineout with our multiple jumpers. My only concern with Toomua starting is that it limits our ability to use the full width of the field - something we have not done in years (2010 aside). Toomua's vision is quite narrow. He is a direct player. Many times this season with overlaps on offer, he invariably prefers to run himself or shuffle a pass to the next man. We need to get the ball to Izzy and Mogg in space - make the most of Izzy's ability to beat a one on one tackle, and Mogg's pace. Toomua doesn't have the vision to see any of that space out wide, or the passing or kicking game to take advantage of it even if he gets the call... CL outside of him has that ability, so hopefully at training they have been working on Toomua releasing the ball quickly to CL (and not just charging the line himself time and time again). My hope is that the plan is for our starting side to bash them around as much as possible early on (cant wait to see MMM tearing into them!), with Fardy, Gill etc to finish the game strongly. I hope Cooper gets on with plenty of time so that we can use the full width of the field to complement the direct, physical approach of the first 30 mins. Cooper's cross field kicks must be used, and between himself and CL they can open up the field very quickly with their passing games.
dezzy10
Guest
Who knows why Mckenzie picked Toomua? You would hope it is based on form and view to the future. However I have a feeling that the senior Wallabies wanted to make sure Quade proves he is worthy of a Wallabies jersey after the comments he made. Surely he cannot just walk into the starting line up after such comments, plus he hasn't been setting the world a light for Reds. Either way, the right selection has been made. As for NZ, they may lack a bit of enforcement. Ever since Kaino left, the role of an enforcer has been vacant. Liam Messam has done a decent job for the ABs but he hasn't made the AB number 6 jersey his own. Luatua has been touted as the next enforcer. He gets a good opportunity tonight. I still remember the 2010 Bledisloe match in Sydney. All Blacks were behind on the scoreboard. Aaron Cruden was not getting the front foot ball. The forwards were not dominating. Enter Jerome Kaino with 20 minutes to go. He sparked the forwards and the backs received front foot ball. At the end when ABs won people kept on saying it was Colin Slade calmness that won the game but in fact it was the Jerome Kaino and his enforcement that sparked the comeback.
DC
Guest
I thought Toomua went missing in the third Lions test?
Merican_Rugger
Guest
DeanB, great post and I totally agree. Cooper has a ton of talent and X Factor (TM) but he also has fear. He also carries the weight of the Wallabies' recent failures against the All Blacks. Toomua is fearless, to beat him you have to either break him physically or demoralize his teammates.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
Indeed. I recall Aaron Cruden getting a guernsey in his first season in 2010 against the Wallabies in Sydney, copping a first half big snooze by the All Blacks forwards and a thumping deficit at half time. He spent the game going backwards and did not do well. That did not destroy his career or the team's prospects in that game.
deanB
Guest
I would like to know McKenzie's inner thinking on the Toomua/Quadie selection. You would think a 38 test first five would be a starting choice, with the debutant off the bench. I think the plan is to mow down anybody in black and cause maximum disruption at every breakdown, much like the Brumbies did to the Lions and Toomua was at the forefront of that effort. The Wallabies rattled the All Blacks into a draw last year with a dogged effort. A frenetic start will get the crowd up. I think Folau will be used off the wing to get one on one with Cruden when he is defending off the edge of the screen of forwards. Unlike Quadie, Toomua has no fear of running and drawing those defenders to him, then selecting his support options. If the timing is out and he has to take the tackle he will. Quadie gets rid of the ball, right or wrong. Toomua's balls over Quadie's bravado. Correct call McKenzie.