adminWELLINGTON – The All Blacks are battling the threat of complacency as they look to put away the hurting Wallabies for a second successive Saturday in the Rugby Championship.Rather than dwell on the ease of their 47-29 victory last week in Sydney, the New Zealanders have focused on where they did not perform to expectations, especially areas such as unnecessary penalties and a misfiring lineout.
“To be honest about our performance last week, the scoreboard looked okay but there were things we weren’t happy with. We made sure we didn’t just gloss over them,” captain Richie McCaw said at training yesterday.
“If you don’t get the prep right no matter what happened the week before things could change real quick.”
A win will put the All Blacks well on the road to retaining their Rugby Championship crown, with home and away Tests against South Africa and Argentina still to come.
They will also lock away the Bledisloe Cup, the symbol of trans-Tasman rugby rivalry, for an 11th successive season.
Australia coach Ewen McKenzie said he was “angry”with last week’s effort – his first game in charge – and captain James Horwill’s reaction was a blunt “I don’t like losing”.
But in a concession that it was perhaps tactics and not the players at fault, McKenzie has retained the same starting line-up bar the injury-forced change that brings Scott Fardy on to the side of the scrum for Hugh McMeniman.
Horwill indicated flyhalf Matt Toomua will now produce the kicking game used to great effect by the Brumbies to get them to this year’s Super Rugby final.
With territory gained, Horwill wanted his players to “have a dig” close to the All Blacks’ line and the talented Israel Folau brought into play more often.-Sport24.
Online Reporter