adminTWICKENHAM. — Form is on New Zealand’s side as they plot their game-plan against close neighbours and even closer rivals Australia in the Rugby World Cup final, and that eases the task of All Blacks coach Steve Hansen. The winner will be the first team to win the World Cup three times, and if it is reigning champions New Zealand they will be the first team to successfully defend the title.
Australia know if the All Blacks are below par one week they bounce back with a vengeance the next. Hansen said they were below par when scraping into the finals with a 20-18 win over South Africa on Saturday.
Australia beat Argentina 25-19 in their Twickenham semi-final on Sunday. Wallabies coach Michael Cheika believed his side would be better next week while Hansen was certain the All Blacks would improve. “We could have done better (against South Africa), and we always seem to play better when we’re like that,” the New Zealand coach said.
Hansen did not have to go too far back to underscore his point. When the Wallabies beat the All Blacks 27-19 in August, New Zealand bounced back with a 41-13 victory a week later. — AFP.
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