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New Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has challenged his team to keep the All Blacks at “15 or 16 points” to win the first Bledisloe Test in Wellington on Sunday, but admits he was somewhat surprised by the decision to start Jordie Barrett on the right wing.
“It’s an amazing side, isn’t it?” Rennie said Friday after Ian Foster named his All Blacks 23. “And pretty predictable.
“I think the only kid he didn’t have there was Jordie Barrett on the wing.
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Dave Rennie’s three sons and two granddaughters will be at the test in Wellington on Sunday.
“I thought Anton Lienert-Brown would be at No. 12, maybe he’d take out Jack Goodhue and have Rieko on the wing.
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“But Jordie has been in such good shape that I guess they needed to find a place for him.”
Barrett has played, had limited experience on the wing, and clearly enjoyed wearing the number 15 jersey for the Hurricanes at Super Rugby Aotearoa this year.
Rennie won’t be alone on either side of the ditch raising an eyebrow at Foster’s decision, but the Wallabies coach was keen to emphasize the All Blacks’ range of attacking weapons.
Interestingly, in a 20 minute chat with Australian and New Zealand reporters on Friday, Rennie diverted the conversation from the Wallabies attack to the importance of defense on several occasions.
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Jordie Barrett had a strong Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign for the Hurricanes as a fullback.
“There are not many weaknesses there, and you will have to defend really well, and you will have to defend during long passages,” Rennie said.
“We need to be really aggressive to try to force them to kick or to try to flip a pill.
“So it’s about the quality of our decision making, and the quality of our skill set under pressure will be important. We certainly want to play, but we have a plan.
“To beat a team like this we are going to have to play very well.”
When asked if the All Blacks’ loss to England at the Rugby World Cup last year could be used as a benchmark, Rennie returned to the topic.
“The sides that have defeated them have defended themselves very well, so you cannot escape from that,” he said.
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Dave Rennie was also hoping to see Waikato’s Anton Lienert-Brown at No. 12.
“We have dedicated a lot of time to our defense but it has to be constant.
“AB’s ability is to score in the blink of an eye, or to score twice in five minutes… we are very aware of the threats there. We need to be able to apply pressure through our defense. “
That desire to create pressure suggests the Wallabies will bring aggressive line speed and therefore need to find favor with Kiwi referee Paul Williams.
But Rennie insisted that he “had no problem” with Williams controlling the game (due to Covid-19 travel restrictions), despite being the third New Zealander to referee an All Blacks game in New Zealand in 42 years.
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Dave Rennie says he “has no problem” with New Zealand referee Paul Williams controlling an All Blacks game in New Zealand, a rarity in the modern era.
“We have no problem with that,” he said.
“We talked a long time ago about the fact that the first two Bledisloes will be refereed by a kiwi and an Australian. [Angus Gardner will control the Eden Park test next week].
“We only want the best person, so if Paul is the best man, that’s fine and it’s his job to referee what he sees. He is a quality referee.
“We certainly don’t have a problem with him.”
Sunday’s match will be an emotional moment for Rennie, who previously described himself as a “proud Kiwi,” and who will try to catch up with Foster for a beer before next week’s test in Auckland.
Her three sons and two granddaughters will be at the test in Wellington, which will make the occasion even more special, but Rennie said she has no regrets about shifting her professional loyalty to Australia.
I’m very excited, “Rennie said.” I am comfortable with the decision I made.
“I love working with this group. I got good guys when it comes to the players, I got fantastic management, so we’re all excited. “
