Planet Rugby- Preview: Australia v New Zealand

15th August 2013 18:13

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Directing: Aaron Cruden

Related links Teams

• Australia
• New Zealand

Also see

• McCaw returns as skipper
• Mathewson is back in New Zealand

New Zealand will be keen to seal their 100th Test victory over Australia when these two rivals kick-off 2013's Rugby Championship in Sydney on Saturday.

 

 

Perhaps the century is ten months overdue after they came within a hair's breadth of winning via a late Dan Carter drop-goal in that epic finish in Brisbane? Unfortunately for All Black fans it was not to be as their hopes of 18 straight victories did not transpire as they went north disappointed.

 

Just three Australian players remain from the XV that drew 18-18 with the All Blacks the last time these two met. They are: Adam Ashley-Cooper, Michael Hooper and James Slipper. New Zealand meanwhile are a great deal more settled, despite losing Liam Messam late in the week to an injury.

 

However, there is more than a feeling that the Wallabies are not to be written off in this Rugby Championship opener as we all wait to see if Ewen McKenzie can do what he has said he could do for such a long time of Robbie Deans' reign.

 

His selection, particularly in the backline, is a good start. Jesse Mogg is deserving of a run in the full-back role following an exceptional campaign for the Brumbies. That means Israel Folau shifts out to right wing - there was no dropping him - while the eleven shirt goes to James O'Connor, a place the masses have for a long time viewed as being his best.

 

The biggest news though came at fly-half where former Reds companion Quade Cooper was overlooked in favour of Matt Toomua, who earns his starting debut. Toomua has formed a formidable midfield combination with Christian Lealiifano that is built on solid defence and that might well have earned him his run. Cooper must make do with the bench.

 

Toomua is one of five Brumbies in the side and faces a rematch from the Super Rugby Final with Chiefs number ten Aaron Cruden - it is worth noting that just one Chief makes New Zealand's starting line-up against a Wallaby outfit that is looking for their first success over world champions in Sydney since 2008. Should the hosts win they would go above South Africa into second spot in the rankings due to the Boks not being able to pick up points.

 

Rankings though are now inconsequential ahead of the World Cup as it's all about the here and now as the All Blacks, led by the returning Richie McCaw and once again a group of well-capped internationals, have the experience on their rivals. The familiarity between the front-row whether it be Andrew Hore or Keven Mealamu at hooker, Luke Romano or Brodie Retallick alongside lock Sam Whitelock, or anywhere else for that matter is immense.

 

Can this Wallaby group blend so soon after being thrown together by McKenzie? Well, few thought Australia would deny the All Blacks in October last year and Steve Hansen is wary.

 

"The Australians will front up," he told reporters during the week. "There is a lot of emotion. A new coach and whenever that happens there seems to be an uplifting in confidence. So we will need to be on the job for the full 80 minutes to put our stamp on the game."

 

Ones to watch:

 

For Australia: The spine of Australia must be strong and with Brumbies quintet Stephen Moore, Ben Mowen, Matt Toomua, Christian Lealiifano and Jesse Mogg part of it, they won't go far wrong. Mogg and Toomua are our men to keep an eye on as if the duo can reproduce their solid yet enterprising brand, then New Zealand may find themselves in a spot of bother. Mogg glides across the turf and we look forward to see how that back-three goes.

 

For New Zealand: Called in from the cold so to speak after Liam Messam's injury ruled him out, Steven Luatua gets his second cap on Saturday and is deserving of it following a good year in Auckland. Playing alongside Richie McCaw and Kieran Read could be a catalyst in his international career and with Brad Shields waiting in the wings in the ITM Cup, he knows that the pressure is on to perform. We're sure the 22-year-old won't let anyone down.

 

Head-to-head: We go to the wing for this one as Israel Folau clashes with Julian Savea. Folau hasn't played much rugby union on the wing so this is something of a test for him. However, judging from the recent British and Irish Lions series he seems to like those. Savea, who is favourite with the bookmakers to be top try-scorer, may have his hands ful

I can never take the Wobblies for granted. I agree they have  made some exciting changes & also recall that we were most cautious of them going into the last RWC. They had some bad injuries &  some bad luck. They also were weak in the scrum. They could be turning it around now.

ABs seem to be concentrating on forward dominance and the "fear factor" as the article below describes. I am sure they won't forget the backs but there goal is to intimidate and control the forwards so broken  play will be an area to watch as the Oz team has a lot of talent in the backs.

Rugby: All Black forwards look for fear factor

By Gregor Paul

5:30 AM Friday Aug 16, 2013

Mercifully free of the Australian affliction of talk-ing more than performing, the All Blacks haven't made any grandiose statements about this year being the one where they want their forwards to become the dominant pack in world rugby.

They hope, however, that much becomes obvious tomorrow night.

There's no question the All Black forwards are wound up pretty tight - that they are counting the minutes until they can be let loose.

They need atonement for their lukewarm effort in their last clash with the Wallabies, but more than that, they want to build a reputation as a pack that is fearsome without the slightest hint of give.

This is the year the All Black pack wants to morph from a talented group of athletes with promise into a big black storm cloud that takes pleasure in travelling the globe to rain on parades.

There were signs during Super rugby that the likes of Sam Whitelock, Owen Franks and Luke Romano, in particular, have a different focus in 2013 - they seem to have a new-found appetite for destruction. Their business these days is proactive enforcement - they want to damage and own their opponents.

"They are maturing and tight forwards get better with age," says All Black coach Steve Hansen. "Sam has definitely been in great form all year, Luke has played well and Owen has played well for a long time.

"But there is definitely going to be a challenge there for them on Saturday. I think the Australians are going to front up and there is going to be a lot of emotion.

"We are going to have to be right on the job for the whole 80 to put our stamp on the game."

The messages to the All Black pack have been clear all week - now is their time to deliver.

If they are going to become renowned as the toughest pack in the game, they'd be best to start the mission tomorrow.

Much has been made of the All Blacks' new attacking plans but pass and run, kick and chase - they form only a part of the blueprint.

Underpinning everything will be the dynamism, accuracy, speed and brutality of the pack - particularly the tight five.

The scrummaging battle also sits as a potential game-changer. The new laws are the great unknown given that neither side is yet to play properly under them, but, again without saying as much, there's a suspicion the All Blacks fancy they have been dealt a trump card by the IRB.

"It is going to be pretty good, I think," says loosehead prop Tony Woodcock.

"There is going to be more pressure and the interesting thing will be what happens when the hooker goes to hook the ball? That is the opportunity for the other scrum to attack."

Given the damage the All Blacks have caused in the past scrummaging under the old laws - the chance to attack what will effectively be a seven-man Wallaby scrum on their put-in is a gift they can barely believe they have been given.

It's likely the All Blacks will see the scrum as their crow bar - a means to take chunks out of the Wallabies and inflict them with doubt, and then they will look to take a similarly dominant stance at the breakdowns and collisions.

By the final whistle, they hope South Africa and Argentina will have been forced to take notice and be removed of any notions that they can get on the front foot when they meet later in the Rugby Championship.

Changing perceptions is important as, denied the crunching presence of Brad Thorn and Jerome Kaino, last year the All Black forwards lacked an element of intimidation: they were handy all right, but not the sort of unit that had the Boks or England waking up in cold night sweats.

In fact, the South Africans rattled the All Blacks in Dunedin with their physicality and presence while England had a foot on the throat for 80 minutes last year.

To be a great All Black side the forwards have to inflict as much psychological damage as they do physical.

They need to induce a touch of fear - carry a reputation for being ruthless. Technical excellence and athleticism are a must, but so too is a hint of volatility.

It's a potent cocktail - one the All Blacks hope to perfect this year.

nzherald.co.nz will have live updates of Saturday's Bledisloe Cup clash from 9.45pm. Join Steven Holloway for all the action for the opening Rugby Championship encounter.