All Blacks vs Australia: Ian Foster’s men rebooted in the back of the Bledisloe blast

Another week, another test against the reeling Wallabies. But any chance that the All Blacks risk being bored with a hail of blows on the Australian sports psyche has been well and truly ruled out by two high-level members of the pack.

Yes, they may be caught up in a weird rugby version of Groundhog Day, about to play his fourth consecutive tryout against Dave Rennie’s Wallabies amid the unique sports landscape served by the pandemic, but unlike Bill Murray’s character in the popular movie, there is no sense of frustration at the uniformity of his diet. daily activity.

And given that the All Blacks have managed to back up a shaky first effort in Wellington with back-to-back wins over the Wallabies, and save the Bledisloe for the summer for the 18th straight year, why should they? Kicking Australian butt never goes out of style when you’re a kiwi.

Mindset is a huge part of the makeup of this team. They understand the art of refocusing, keeping your eyes on the ball, and isolating the always dangerous outside noise. Fans of the oval ball on either side of Tasman can now look forward to a trilogy of triumphs from the All Blacks at Brizzie on Saturday night, but Ian Foster’s men have not allowed such delusions of grandeur to seep into their gray matter. .

READ MORE:
* All Blacks vs Australia: ‘That’s a bad man’: TJ Perenara praises Richie Mo’unga
* All Blacks v Australia: Ian Foster’s sympathy for Dave Rennie: ‘He’s hurting’
* All Blacks vs Australia: Ian Foster, Sam Cane – ‘We are building something special’
* All Blacks vs Australia: Woeful Wallabies punished, but more important tests to come for NZ

They fully understand that this is now a mental game for them, much like a game of rugby. You don’t extend dominance over a side as useful in its day as the Wallabies to nearly two full decades without possessing some pretty useful psychological tools.

So, after following up 27-7 Eden Park with an even more decisive (and record) 43-5 win at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium on Saturday night, the All Blacks have re-established their headspace. They walked around with that big trophy like it was their long lost friend, and now they have almost forgotten it.

“It’s a bit different, all four in a row,” prostitute Codie Taylor said in Sydney on Monday. “I have analyzed each test as it comes. We have won Bledisloe, we have had two pretty good games and two good scores. The best thing about this team is that we now have a new approach with the Tri-Nations.

“In our review it was quite clear that it is time to move on, that there is a completely new challenge ahead and we want to win it. So this week we’ll play Australia again, but it’s almost like Aussie I again because it’s a new trophy. “

Talk about your Jedi mind twists. Last week he was also part of the Tri-Nations, although you would not have known it from the All Blacks. His full concentration was on the Bledisloe side of the equation; like this week it is the reduced version of the Rugby Championship.

The reality now is that a second consecutive Tri-Nations victory, over the side rated as their biggest threats, would almost guarantee a second cabinet trophy for 2020. That’s all these predator-mode All Blacks are thinking about right now.

“We were happy to put the Bledisloe aside and now we are rapidly shifting our focus to the Tri-Nations,” added blocking backup Scott Barrett. “What 2020 has shown is that we must take one step at a time. That’s playing Australia this week in Brisbane, and we have to get up and get excited about that.

“It’s hard [playing four in a row against the same side]. But we have a small group here, we can find things to do on our days off or in our free time. We are also in a fortunate position to be able to play rugby in Australia at the moment, and we are grateful for that. “

The other aspect of these All Blacks is their thirst to set new benchmarks. As soon as they left the park on Saturday, running in six attempts behind a dazzling display by Richie Mo’unga, the coach and captain were talking about being excited about the team’s roof upgrade.

“We want to get better every week,” added Taylor. “It’s what the All Blacks jersey demands. Our personal goals, and what being an All Black is all about, demand that you stand up and make your country proud.

“I am excited to know where this team can go. Even after the last performance, we know that we can keep learning, keep growing and keep getting better. “

It will be interesting to see if Foster modifies the lineup this week (aside from the likely return of Ardie Savea), or if he leaves that for the next Pumas tryouts. He’d like to try Beauden Barrett at 10, and probably Jordie as a fullback too. But how could he leave Mo’unga out after that? Some helpful guys lurk in the backup squad too.

Then there are the Wallabies to consider. They will be suffering. No Australian team has lost that much to the All Blacks. His trademark arrogance has become astonishing.

“I hope they throw everything at us,” Taylor said. “They have nothing to lose and they will want to make their nation proud. They are a tough team and when they have some confidence they are a difficult team to stop ”.

They are the All Blacks. Prepare for the best of the opposition; then jump on them when he’s closer to his worst.