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The All Blacks and Wallabies will take the field in front of a packed, largely maskless crowd in Wellington, just under a year since their last games, at the World Cup in Japan.
The All Blacks perform the haka before a Rugby World Cup match. Image: @ AllBlacks / Twitter
WELLINGTON – New Zealand and Australia will play the first round of rugby since the pandemic on Sunday amid disagreement and tension after the chaos caused by the coronavirus opened deep divisions.
The All Blacks and Wallabies will take the field in front of a packed, largely maskless crowd in Wellington, just under a year since their last games, at the World Cup in Japan.
Hostilities on the pitch follow a torrid period this year as the two unions fought over the Rugby Championship internationals and Super Rugby, whose 25-year streak has come to a halt.
The inaugural test of the Bledisloe Cup, the first international rugby union since Covid-19 halted the Six Nations in March, will be followed by a second next week in Auckland, before the reformatted Rugby Championship begins in Australia on October 31. .
Among the many changes to rugby since Japan last year, both teams have new coaches already looking ahead to the next World Cup in 2023.
The All Blacks are under Ian Foster, who took over after eight years as Steve Hansen’s assistant, while the Wallabies turned to New Zealander Dave Rennie after the departure of Michael Cheika.
Foster said that memories of last year’s failed World Cup campaign have already been forgotten by the three-time world champions.
“We don’t need that burden,” Foster said. “It’s about this team.
“It’s about looking at the foundations and making sure we establish that in this test and the ones after to make sure we can launch into the next period.”
‘We have to be aggressive’
Rennie of the Wallabies, a native of Wellington, has never trained at the test level before, but knows exactly what he wants from his team.
“We have to be really aggressive, to try to force them to kick or flip a pill,” he said.
After surviving on Zoom calls with coaches and players for part of the year, Foster and Rennie are able to launch their coaching careers in front of a large crowd, days after New Zealand declared victory over their second wave of Covid-19.
There is meaning for both teams as New Zealand ranks the Bledisloe Cup second in importance only after the World Cup and has held it for the past 18 years.
That dominance has infuriated Australia and the depth of excitement heading into Sunday’s clash, the first of four in the series, including two at the Rugby Championship, was underlined by Wallabies center Matt To’omua.
He proclaimed that Australians “probably want the Bledisloe Cup to come back to Australia almost more than we want the World Cup.”
Rennie has made 13 changes to the starting XV since the Wallabies last outing, the 40-16 demolition of England in the World Cup quarterfinals.
Only captain Michael Hooper, playing his 100th test, and winger Marika Koroibete survive from that hit, while Rennie has bet on three rookies in his first test starting lineup: blocking Harry Wilson and outside backs Hunter Paisami and Filipo. Daugunu.
He has also accumulated experience on the bench where Scott Sio, Allan Alaalatoa, Rob Simmons and Reece Hodge have 237 tests between them, setting the stage for an interesting closing quarter.
‘Fast and furious game’
Foster opted to start with arguably his best lineup, which includes nine starters from their 19-7 loss to England in the World Cup semifinals, and has three players left on the bench.
The most debated part of the All Blacks’ selection centers on the high middle, where Foster has retained Richie Mo’unga at center and Beauden Barrett at fullback.
Twice Player of the Year, Barrett has made it clear that the flyhalf is his preferred position, while his brother Jordie was the fullback in form at Super Rugby Aotearoa this year.
But Foster said he wanted Mo’unga and both Barretts on the field and solved the problem by naming Jordie on the right wing.
“It is a selection for this test,” he emphasized.
“Our way is to choose a group that we think can play our game well and it is clear that we have stayed on the side of some players who have a bit of experience under pressure when the structure starts to break down.”
Foster added: “I think it will be a fast and furious game for both teams.”
However, Rennie, who was unfazed by planning to beat his home country, believes the key to beating the All Blacks is for the Wallabies to walk away from their running game.
“We have to be able to shape their defense through smart kicking options: be prepared to play, but if the image changes, be prepared to kick from wide channels or place disputed balls,” he said.
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