adminSYDNEY. — The All Blacks will be out to reassert their dominance as the wounded Wallabies look to the return of Kurtley Beale to trigger an upset in tomorrow’s Rugby Championship opener in Sydney.
The world champions have been reviewing what went wrong in their unexpected series draw with the British and Irish Lions at home last month and are hell-bent on rebounding against the Australians in Sydney.
The Lions defied the odds to down the All Blacks 24-21 in Wellington to take their series to a decider only for the final Auckland match to end in a 15-15 stalemate. That inability to put away the Lions raised doubts whether the All Blacks’ era of dominance was on the wane after they were shocked by Ireland 40-29 in Chicago last November.
The All Blacks have dominated the Wallabies — losing only three of their last 29 trans-Tasman encounters — and are expected to do it again as Australian rugby looks to emerge from a woeful season.
Sonny Bill Williams returns for the New Zealanders after serving his four-match suspension, while Jerome Kaino has been dropped for the Olympic stadium Test.
Teams (15-1)
Australia: Israel Folau; Henry Speight, Samu Kerevi, Kurtley Beale, Curtis Rona; Bernard Foley, Will Genia; Sean McMahon, Michael Hooper (capt), Ned Hanigan; Adam Coleman, Rory Arnold; Allan Alaalatoa, Stephen Moore, Scott Sio.
Replacements: Tatafu Polota-Nau, Tom Robertson, Sekope Kepu, Rob Simmons, Lopeti Timani, Nick Phipps, Reece Hodge, Tevita Kuridrani.
New Zealand: Damian McKenzie; Ben Smith, Ryan Crotty, Sonny Bill Williams, Rieko Ioane; Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith; Kieran Read (capt), Sam Cane, Liam Squire; Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick; Owen Franks, Codie Taylor, Joe Moody.
Replacements: Nathan Harris, Wyatt Crockett, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Luke Romano, Ardie Savea, TJ Perenara, Lima Sopoaga, Anton Lienert-Brown.
Referee: Wayne Barnes (ENG). — AFP.
Online Reporter