Far from hunting wounded prey, the All Blacks expect the embattled Wallabies to be a dangerous beast on Saturday night and play out of their skins at Suncorp Stadium.
New Zealand coach Steve Hansen and his backline general Conrad Smith both predicted a major backlash from their Bledisloe rivals despite the Kurtley Beale scandal, internal ructions and constant coaching speculation that has the ravaged code the past fortnight.
But the canny Hansen did warn that his world champions, smarting from their first loss in 23 Tests, were primed to make Australia suffer even more if they weren’t rock solid as a unit.
“When a team is under siege as they are at the moment then one of two things can happen,” he said of the Wallabies.
“Either they unite and come out and play really well or they crumble to the pressure of it.
“I don’t see them crumbling. They’re too good of a team.
“Our job is to go out and put as much pressure as we can on the park and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Hansen is a regular pot-stirrer in Bledisloe battles but wasn’t about to poke his arch-rivals, even hoping the Wallabies could quickly solve their problems because southern hemisphere rugby need Australia “firing on all cylinders”.
He admitted his team had taken little notice of the dramas facing rival coach Ewen McKenzie, with Michael Cheika and Jake White being suggested as instant replacements if there’s another trans-Tasman massacre.
Only two months ago, it was McKenzie imploring the All Blacks to bring their A-game to Eden Park after Australia got the better of the 12-12 series opener in Sydney.
They responded with a seven-try 51-20 pounding that ensured the Bledisloe Cup would stay on Kiwi soil for a 12th straight year.
“All we know is they’re copping it and that will make them stronger,” Hansen said. “The Wallabies have certainly got their backs to the wall and they’ve got nowhere to go but come out and show their fans and themselves that they are good rugby players, and I don’t think that’s in question.
“I see them being a very dangerous beast this week.”
The All Blacks, who haven’t won in their last two trips to Brisbane, are also braced for Adam Ashley-Cooper’s 100th Test to galvanise an Australian outfit looking to reward their popular vice-captain.
While Smith praised “Mr Fix-It” Ashley-Cooper’s all-round talent and versatility, the world-class centre said turbulent times had a habit in bringing out the best in teams.
“I think it just helps if anything – it fuels the fire,” he said. “You get through stuff like that and you just want to play rugby and I think that’s the feeling we’ve even got.”
Quade Cooper looms as the joker in the pack for McKenzie, who can call on his returning playmaker as a second-half game-breaker if the scoreline is tight.
Hansen is also wary.
“He’s similar to Kurtley,” he said. “Coming off the bench he’ll be really energetic and when he’s on he’s a super player – he’s magical.
“It’s a long time since he’s played Test footy so he may be a bit rusty but what he’ll bring is a lot of enthusiasm.”
Shane D
Roar Rookie
Agree that the players should be keeping mum about the Beale incident. If I was the ARU I would have told them to try a 'no comment' line. Can't agree about Cooper though. The Wallaby players need to promote the game & as a high profile guy Cooper gets requests for comments all the time. At least he talked about the game & gave a neutral comment when asked about Beale.
Shane D
Roar Rookie
Gold. Most of the AB fans I know & spoken to about the game acknowledge that it was lost in the first half. The Bokke simply out played & enthused the AB's & got away from them.
You should write a letter of appeal to the IRB ;)
Ajax
Guest
Well the Boks were a bit lucky IMO.. there was a suspicion of a forward pas in their first 2 tries.. and the winning penalty was frankly a disgrace... Burger fell over as the Kiwi player tried to tackle him.. the ref didnt even stop play until the linesman intervened ( I had Afrikaans commentary so didnt really know what was going on).... one of the softest penalties awarded all season... Australia haven't produced anything remotely like what South Africa did on the weekend.... I suspect the All Blacks will put the Wallabies to sleep on the weekend.. no mess, no fuss, just a clinical dissection of a much loved marsupial.
Chan Wee
Guest
" Australia captain Michael Hooper insists there is no split in the Wallaby camp despite reports of unrest in the Australian press. There has been speculation that the Waratahs players in the squad have grown frustrated at under-fire coach Ewen McKenzie but Hooper, a Waratah himself, claimed that is not the case. It's been a tumultuous few weeks for the Wallabies, with Kurtley Beale currently suspended indefinitely and McKenzie under huge pressure. However Hooper maintains that the atmosphere is good in the squad ahead of Saturday's daunting clash with New Zealand. "Being on the inside this week, we've seen how tight we are as a group," he said. "There's no split. "When moments like this occur, you realise how good it is playing for the jersey and playing for your country. "We're taking on the number one team in the world. We've missed the mark a number of times over the last couple of years and this is a chance to draw the series. "I think some of the guys are licking their lips. "The All Blacks have shown they can hold onto a lead so we've got to be going out there and from the whistle put on a physical display in defence and in the carries. "If we are able to put in a physical performance and show everyone that despite what's happened this week we're able to turn it around, that's what I want out of this game, to show how much we care and try our hardest to get the result."
Martin Deligasi
Guest
no
Jock
Guest
Cant see this AB team losing 2 on the trot
Captain Pugwash
Guest
Fair enough. -Captain Pugwash
44bottles
Roar Guru
I think a lot of that was because of the completely misleading attention grabbing headline, which made it out as if he had talked down to the Wallabies when he had actually just said that the All Blacks need to step up. That's what the people were reacting to
44bottles
Roar Guru
Don't criticise him. He has every right to! - 44bottles
Vboom
Guest
Nice one Pugwash. Sorry for not rubbing salt in the wound, what was Hansen supposed to say? It may be the Aussie way to be overconfident but you'll be aware the All Blacks often stumble when they are sure things, for example most world cups. Even 2011's "easiest world cup final in history" proved to almost be the nail in the coffin for NZ world cup dreams. Why would Hansen want to be accused of being a bad winner before the game even starts.
Stevo TP
Guest
No, no, no, no, no, not WS, or are you taking the Michael - yes you are you devil you. .
Shane D
Roar Rookie
Heard something similar but Cruden to come into 10 with Slade to remain on the bench to cover 10/15.
rugby heaven
Guest
I remember pre eden park massacre ( lest we forget) hansen saying the all blacks could turn it up a few notches and being called an arrogant windbag. The bloke is bang on
rugby heaven
Guest
I remember pre eden park massacre ( lest we forget) hansen saying the all blacks could turn it up a few notches and being called an arrogant windbag. The bloke is bang on
DCNZ
Guest
The All Blacks have not won in Brisbane since 2008 - they will want to rectify that.
Missing Link
Roar Rookie
I'm still here
Captain Pugwash
Guest
Wait, are you saying you should back Link? Or are you questioning what he can achieve?
Captain Pugwash
Guest
Deligasi, we know you're Deligasi, you don't need to sign off with your name.
Magic Sponge
Guest
ie Skelton