New Zealand see an opportunity with Australia’s new five-eighth Reece Hodge and plan to ask questions of him in Saturday’s final Bledisloe Cup match.
The All Blacks will apply the blowtorch to Hodge, the Wallabies’ latest five-eighth offering, as they plot to complete a Bledisloe Cup series drubbing in Brisbane.
Rookie playmaker Noah Lolesio has been sent back to the bench for the Suncorp Stadium match after the 43-5 thrashing in Sydney, which saw New Zealand secure the trophy.
And they now have set their sights on Hodge, who will make just his second start at five-eighth in 42 Tests.
His only other outing at No.10 came in 2017 against Japan in Yokohama when regular playmaker Bernard Foley fell sick, with the Wallabies winning 63-30 and Hodge successfully converting all nine tries.
The All Blacks will be a far tougher proposition for the 26-year-old, who has won the majority of his caps on the wing, with coach Ian Foster saying they planned to test him out.
“He’s (Hodge) shown skills in the past at 10 but it’s going to be another thing to go into a big Test like this and it’s something that we’re going to ask a few questions of,” Foster said.
The All Blacks mentor thought Hodge’s selection was designed to improve the Wallabies’ kicking game which was woeful in the third Test and bring some starch to their defence.
“They were criticised a bit with their kicking game last week so he won’t be short of that skill-set; he’s got a big kick on him,” Foster said.
“When you look at the 10, 12, 13 combination they are really trying to shore that space up defensively.”
The Australians have struggled since the second-Test loss of veteran playmaker Matt To’omua, who is out for the year with a groin injury.
The injured James O’Connor will also miss the Brisbane match after a knee injury ruled him out of the Sydney clash, and it appears the Wallabies have gone back to basics.
“They may have lost their decision-maker in To’omua so they’ve probably gone with a lot more direct running and a lot more of a power game through the midfield,” Foster said.
“Hodge is more of an old head and they will use his experience to guide the team around.”
A heavy loss would be a final trans-Tasman insult, given the venue is historically Australia’s most successful stomping ground.
The Wallabies are on a six-game winning streak at Suncorp Stadium dating back to 2016, including a 2017 win over the All Blacks.
Bentnuc
Roar Pro
Well holding the ball for the sake of it hasnt exactly worked out for us the last 5 years! In fact the only time we have kicked more often than the ABs this series was in the draw… but it has to smart contestable kicks. The kick to caleb clarke from joc was an absolute shocker! High contestable kicks are golden in rugby. Look how many the ABs (the consistently best team in the world the last 20 years) do!
pm
Roar Rookie
I mean just kick to touch over and over again, not into open play. try to play as much as possible in the AB's defensive 22 and near the boundaries
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Shhh... they think kicking it to our back 3 is good idea (hehe), let them do it and see what happens...
Puff
Guest
Melissa, enjoy your optimism of sorts, associated with certain team members but regardless of the venue “Suncorp” the result will probably go to script. Dave Rennie understands NZ rugby, therefore winning the skirmish is a stretch, and he’s more likely to be concentrating on the long game. The wallaby attacking qualities are fragmented and are disjointed up front. Finding the balance with limited depth and others with restricted skills requires a committed undertaking. Particularly during this season of uncertain times and travel restrictions. As reiterated before if the final result is respectable its progress, if they win its news paper headlines.
I just cant agree....The more you kick the more the ABs counter attack.....Great kicking is very critical but to kick for the sake of kicking will be a slaughter
jcmasher
Roar Rookie
Melissa sorry but that title should be in the SMH not in a real rugby forum with people who love and respect the game. No mention of anything like the title says in the article and seriously misleading. Not sure of the intent but to me it smacks of troll journalism
Bentnuc
Roar Pro
Yep boot it long from the 22. Pressure the lineout, pressure the breakdown. Boot it high from our own half (when out of the 22) pressure the back 3 in the air and in then breakdown :rugby: The more we kick the more chance we have of winning so long as we are not passive in defence (particularly the breakdown)
jcmasher
Roar Rookie
Well if he was playing for the ABs....................
Paulo
Roar Rookie
Are they better than other locations, like Sydney or Melbourne? Maybe that’s why they it’s good. It’s just the best compared to even worse.
pm
Roar Rookie
I think just kicking long and out of play then trying to put pressure on AB lineouts is our best shot. Simmons starting therefore makes sense. On the other hand, the more it's in midfield open play the more severely we'll get exposed and outscored.
Paulo
Roar Rookie
To be fair I skimmed the article, but could t see any quotes from the ABs saying they going to target him? I mean Ofcourse, given his experience at 10, ANY team would focus on him. ‘Working him over’ seems a bit full on for a statement though. Unless of course they tackle him in the air within the first 2 mins... but then who would be stupid enough to do that?
Tim Reynolds
Guest
There has been a little discussion on Brisbane being a favoured venue for the Wallabies. Against the All Blacks the Wallabies record is 15 losses, 4 wins and 3 draws. At Suncorp Stadium it is 4 losses, 2 wins and 1 draw. I wouldn't bet on odds like that!
Tooly
Roar Rookie
Didn’t anyone watch Semi Radradra running over Hodge ? He simply can’t tackle front on. He can’t tackle high or low. The only tackles he makes are from side on or from behind. He is like Hooper , everywhere except where he should be. Pick Lolisio and let him defend his channel and play his own game.
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
Title may be a litte dramatic considering the content of the article guys. It's no secret Rennie is looking to shore up the defence, play more direct and execute a longer kicking game. Hodge may well suit that narrative. But... what can he bring with attack? Direct is good but you've got to be able to distribute. The All Blacks have picked a pretty dynamic back three, all used to the aerial stuff and they will be looking to run your errors back at you, discounting territory and possession. Reece, in particular, will be champing at the bit. Careful what you wish for...