In front of what officials predict will be a crowd of around 60,000 at the 82,000-capacity Accor Stadium, All Blacks coach Scott Robertson says they’ve got enough weeks under their feet to get their rhythm.
Robertson says they created a lot of opportunities in South Africa that they didn’t execute, so execution’s on the top of their mind.
On the back of their successive defeats in South Africa, then a week at home to stew, there couldn’t be a better occasion to strike back for Scott Robertson’s men in black, with another test of character on the road, and the beloved Bledisloe able to be locked away before any kind of nerve-jangling rematch in Wellington next weekend.
In his own playing days, Robertson was never part of a Bledisloe-winning side, his 23-test career spanning 1998-2002, with the next season, of course, the Aussies relinquishing the silverware, and they have not got their mitts on it since, the trophy last month ticking over 21 years in New Zealand Rugby’s cabinet.
Wallabies Kiwi coach Joe Schmidt says it’s something that he knows the All Blacks treasure, and the Wallabies would like to treasure.
Schmidt says the Wallabies haven’t seen it for quite some time, so it would be great if they could at least get a hand on it and keep it live to Wellington.
Of course, that would be the last thing Robertson and the All Blacks need, going to their own home bogey-ground in the capital on a three-game losing skid and under enormous pressure.
So the time is now for them to aim up, and not only do the business against the guys in gold, but do it well. The Wallabies host the All Blacks at 5.45pm today in Sydney.
Meanwhile, the Pumas play the Springboks at 9am tomorrow.
[Source: Stuff.co.nz]
