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If All Blacks wrecking ball Caleb Clarke is feeling the pressure after shocking the rugby world in the second round of the Bledisloe Cup, he isn’t showing it, according to his New Zealand teammates.
Making his first test outing in a 27-7 win in Auckland, Clarke terrorized the Wallabies in a rampant display that was shadowed by the late great Jonah Lomu.
The 21-year-old winger can expect plenty of attention from the Wallabies in Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup Round 3 at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, which the hosts must win to keep the four-game series alive.
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All Black rookie Caleb Clarke is being challenged to repeat his feats from Eden Park in Sydney.
But Clarke’s teammates Lock Sam Whitelock and hooker Dane Coles say the youngster calmly draws attention.
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“He’s a pretty laid-back character, he was dancing in the gym this morning,” Coles said after his training session in Sydney.
“He’s always happy and sings and dances, but he has the knack of flipping the switch when it comes to playtime.
“The challenge for him will be to back it up, and we hope he can do something like that again.”
Mark Tantrum / Getty Images
Caleb Clarke at work during an All Blacks gym session.
With Clarke’s feet firmly on the ground having grown up with her father Eroni an All Black, Whitelock believed she had all the qualities to meet again in Sydney.
“He’s a big, strong man … it’s impressive to see him running around the field,” said Whitelock.
“I’ve faced him in Super Rugby and it’s a bit of a nightmare trying to tackle so I hope he takes that form in the next few weeks.”
Anthony Au-Yeung / Getty Images
New All Blacks sensation Caleb Clarke has terrified the Wallabies in 2020.
All Blacks centurion Whitelock missed the Auckland game after suffering persistent symptoms of concussion from a blow to the head in Wellington’s first draw.
The 32-year-old had not yet undergone a contact session, but believed he would be ready to go.
“I’ve had a little extra time to take it easy and I’ve been fully training so I just need a few guys to really tackle, which I’ll do on Tuesday,” he said.
“Hopefully I get over it and be available.”
With the trans-Tasman trophy on the line for the Wallabies, and a return to home turf, Coles expected the Australians to lift the weight on Saturday to try and end the All Blacks’ three-game winning streak.
“The last three times (in Sydney) have been pretty good, but we don’t have a great record in Australia, I think it’s like 58 percent, so they appear on their own ground so we expect a great battle. ”Said the 33-year-old man.
“It will mean a lot to them to be home for the first time in front of their fans.
“The intensity will increase from Eden Park, they will be ready for it and we have to make sure we match it.”
