SYDNEY, Sept 19 (Askume) – Australia and New Zealand have no chance of winning the Rugby Championship after losing three of their four games so far this season but the prestigious Bledisloe Cup ensures Saturday’s Test is anything but meaningless.
The Wallabies have not had a symbol of trans-Tasman rugby supremacy since 2002 and a breakthrough looks unlikely this year, having beaten the All Blacks in Sydney on Saturday and then in Wellington next week.
Their 67-27 loss to Argentina on nine tries two weeks ago plunged Australian rugby into a new depth of pain, and back-to-back Tests with the All Blacks may not be what they need going forward.
New Zealand have lost just one of their last 12 matches against Australia and have won their last four matches against the Kangaroos by big margins.
They may have been underdogs under new coach Scott Robertson, who has won 20 games so far, but that won’t dampen their desire to beat their neighbours.
As last year’s World Cup finalists, the All Blacks’ two losses to the world champion Springboks in South Africa have not slowed the momentum much and Robertson’s focus ahead of Saturday’s game is simply on strengthening things.
“We wanted to get a good result. We created a lot of chances in South Africa but we couldn’t convert them,” Robertson said after naming his squad on Thursday.
“So execution is our No. 1 priority, but we want to keep a really good energy here and make sure we build on what we’ve done before but be a little more ruthless.”
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt looks to have a tough job, although his side could be motivated by having popular prop James Slipper in his 140th Test as he becomes Australia’s most-capped player.
Schmidt knows the All Blacks well having been part of Ian Foster’s coaching staff during last year’s World Cup and he spoke at length about the quality of the All Blacks’ players following his Wallabies appointment on Thursday .
“I know his strengths and I know his weaknesses, and his weaknesses are probably a lot less than his strengths,” the New Zealander said.
“They’re a great team. But I really like the people I’m working with now.”
Schmidt is a stark contrast to his predecessor Eddie Jones, who has refrained from making any promises or predictions since taking charge at the start of the season, preferring to focus on the process of rebuilding a young squad.
“The Bledisloe Trophy is a massive trophy. I know it’s a treasure for the All Blacks and the Wallabies want to treasure it,” he said on Thursday.
“It would be great if they could at least get involved and keep Wellington alive.
“But I think we are trying to improve elements of the game and not talking about anything too result-focused.”
