[ad_1]
Phil Walter / Getty Images
Ardie Savea, who missed Test 43-5 in Sydney, is expected to return to face the Wallabies on dead rubber in Brisbane on Saturday night.
Changes to the All Blacks team for Brisbane are imminent and Wallabies coach Dave Rennie may not be happy to hear that.
Having secured the Bledisloe Cup after a 43-5 record win in Sydney last weekend, the All Blacks are not going to risk dropping weary men to the dust over dead rubber at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday. the night.
Rugby Australia
Dave Rennie acknowledges that the Wallabies are outmatched by the All Blacks.
It remains to be seen how adventurous the All Blacks coaches are prepared to be as they attempt to keep the Wallabies winless in the four-game series, with the team to be named Thursday, but the Wallabies surely hope it will result in a decline in their performance levels.
The All Blacks, for obvious reasons, expect it to have the opposite effect.
READ MORE:
* All Blacks vs Australia: Ian Foster names the All Blacks team for the third round of the Bledisloe Cup
* Summary: All Blacks vs Australia – Bledisloe Cup III and Tri-Nations
* All Blacks vs Australia: Beauden Barrett at fullback, Jordie Barrett at side
“There will be some changes,” All Blacks forward coach John Plumtree confirmed Tuesday.
“Yes, we have some players knocking on the door. There has been incredible competition for places, and we can expect some changes to refresh the players and we also want to see, as selectors, players who have performed really well during the Super. ”
We know this: there is little chance that 48-test loose-head prop Joe Moody will return from the concussion he suffered in Auckland at Bledisloe II on August 18.
Cameron Spencer / Getty Images
Jordie Barrett celebrates after scoring a try with fellow All Blacks Dalton Papalii and Ngani Laumape in Sydney.
Moody is still working on concussion protocols, and Plumtree says the likelihood of him being declared fit to play was remote.
Changing a winning team, especially ahead of a test in Brisbane where the All Blacks have only won once in their last four games since 2011, could be seen as a risk, but it will certainly spark public debate.
It will also allow the All Blacks to protect players ahead of the remaining two Tri Nations matches against Argentina and, they hope, secure the second trophy for 2020.
Several All Blacks were forced to overcome a heavy workload in the previous three tests, but it would be surprising if Captain Sam Cane was one of those who appeared on the cotton.
Cameron Spencer / Getty Images
The All Blacks celebrate with the Bledisloe Cup after retaining the Bledisloe Cup with a 43-5 victory over the Wallabies.
Cane, who has been in excellent shape, will surely be asked to start in Brisbane to try and ensure that Rennie’s team cannot repeat the 23-18 victory when the two sides last met at Suncorp in 2017.
Hooker Codie Taylor could rotate with Dane Coles and block Patrick Tuipulotu, who has started all three tests, may be benched to allow Scott Barrett a few more minutes at starter.
Ardie Savea has also rejoined the team after spending time with the family after the birth of his second child, and can start at No. 8 ahead of Hoskins Sotutu.
Mark Tantrum / Getty Images
Powerful midfielder Ngani Laumape could be asked to start in Brisbane as the All Blacks coaches look to make changes for the dead rubber.
Running back TJ Perenara, despite being guilty of several wayward passes when he replaced Aaron Smith in Sydney, can be a starter and Brad Weber could get on the bench.
Midfielder Ngani Laumape would be a popular addition to the second-row team with New Zealand audiences; his powerful performances for the Hurricanes before breaking an arm at Super Rugby Aotearoa remains fresh in the memory and could do some serious damage to Suncorp.
Given that he was in such majestic form in Sydney, when he scored 23 points last weekend, Richie Mo’unga can be asked to take the lead again for this match.
And Plumtree had a message for the Wallabies too, saying the All Blacks had no trouble blaming their own effort in Sydney despite the record scoring.
“No, it was not difficult at all to do,” Plumtree said.
“There were patches in that game, where we were pretty average. We made a lot of mistakes and unforced errors during one period of the game, so we saw it well. ”
