NZ v Australia: 3rd Bledisloe Cup match

OK Boys and girls. Games on tomorrow. Australia's in crisis and NZ is coming off a loss to the boks. Time to talk about the last meaningful international before the November series. The big questions?

1. Can Australia get up from the media battering following a poor rugby championship and the Kurtley Beale fallout?
2. Are the All Blacks taking the game seriously enough(should for instance Cruden be starting)?
3. How big a factor with Brisbane and the referee be?

And anything else that stricks your fancy.

Some bloke (probably AAC) will give an emotional speech on how honoured e is to play his 100th test for Australia.

It will galvanise the team and they will run out and put everything into it, there will be an inevitable mistake, New Zealand will counter and that will start the rot.

Halftime the gap won't be too big, but New Zealand will run away with it and win comfortably, by about 18 points.

I have never seen an All Blacks team not taking a game seriously, starting poorly is not the same thing.

Cruden is serving his punishment and Barrett deserves another chance.

Referees always have an influence on a game, sometimes good, sometimes bad, all depends whether they had their Wheeties in the morning.

I used to think the ABs never not took a game seriously, but I'm not so sure, relatively speaking. Sure they take all games seriously but sometimes it seems they didn't prep right or something. Is Wayne Barnes the ref?

ps. AAC is class, world class, and congratulations to him for making 100.

If, and I doubt it, NZ doesn't take this game as seriously as they should, be it lack of preparation or otherwise and they lose then they only have themselves to blame.

The All Blacks want it all right the Pack says that first choice tight 5 plus a more mobile
loose trio.Couple of players Smith and Kaino rested,Cory Jane may be a weakness but
Piutau is on the bench.Very strong bench sorry for Crotty who`s become the invisible man.

Australia won`t play for the coach but will for Beale and AAC,this match recently was a banana skin.BUT AB`s seldom lose 2 on the trot and expect this time they will keep score board ticking over.

I think AUS can be competitive but their bench is simply not strong enough. They got blitzed by SA come the last 20 mins and I think it will be the same here. They need chaps like Will Skelton in to provide some impact, mistake from McKenzie IMO.

Teams any one?

I'm gonna go on a limb here and say the Wallabies will pull a rat out of the hat just when we least expect them to as usual .The Aussies are due a big one and I have a feeling its coming tomorrow.The current mood reminds me of the buildup to the French game in Paris which everyone expected them to lose only to have the Frenchies catch a beatdown

All Blacks team to play the Wallabies:
Israel Dagg, Cory Jane, Conrad Smith, Malakai Fekitoa, Julian Savea, Beauden Barrett, Aaron Smith, Kieran Read, Richie McCaw (c), Liam Messam, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Owen Franks, Dane Coles, Wyatt Crockett.

Reserves: Keven Mealamu, Ben Franks, Charlie Faumuina, Patrick Tuipulotu, Sam Cane, TJ Perenara, Colin Slade, Charles Piutau

Speaking of Adam Ashely Cooper how class is the Wallaby team photo!

Ewen still dont look happy.

ARU came out backing Ewen lately while reiterating he's contracted through to the 2015 RWC. If there's truth in him losing the Wallabies dressing room then they must be a very difficult team to manage.

Yeah, if there's truth to him losing the Wallabies dressing room then it won't be for the first time either. Didnt their previous two coaches have a similar thing happen? I recall Deans and Jones got the push from inside didn't they? Jake White got the push from the Brumbies. John Mitchell got the push from Perth. Think I got my facts right. If so, must have a tail wags the dog culture.

The Aussie rugby culture strikes me as being much more liberal than the NZ and SA culture

Yeah liberal is probably a fair way of putting it. Probably ok when the going is good. There's been a few cases of player power in NZ clubs ousting or trying to oust coaches so it's not just an Oz thing. Probably happens everywhere. But the ones I know of in NZ. I think the players came off second best in terms of reputation.

Biltong wrote:If, and I doubt it, NZ doesn't take this game as seriously as they should, be it lack of preparation or otherwise and they lose then they only have themselves to blame.

'Seriously' has different levels of interpretation. if you were to ask the AB's if they were taking it seriously they would say 'yes'.

However, if this were a World cup final would Ben Smith be being rested? Would Barrett be playing instead of Cruden? Messam instead of Kaino?

If it were that serious, those players would be playing. Obviously the prep would be different if it were the world cup final but this match, although 'serious' still needs to fit in with the overall planning for the year. In Allan's (emach) description of 'always playing the best team' this falls short of that. Barrett rather than Cruden isn't because he's the superior 10, but because we need to further test his abilities to start for later games.

But within that context, the AB's will certainly be taking this seriously.

Will Cruden make it to the plane going to England?

doctor_grey wrote:Will Cruden make it to the plane going to England?

I think thats why he's not playing tonight Doc...he's on it now....waiting.

Lot of empty seats?

The ozzies are trying to run the ball.. Good opening few minutes

Nice work by the wallabies there deserved try...

This really could be a good test...

End for end stuff... Cory Jane in the corner...

Lets watch this scrum?

Oops!

Bugger the scrums, the running rugby is great to watch..

Set the mual really well then just blew it....

Great open game, must all that ARC

The quality of side stepping front rowers on both teams is fantastic...

Pretty good half.

Good fun non championship rugby.

Such a shame these games arn't free to air in ozy, would certainly be a great advertisment for the wallabies

Australian defence looks so much better than last few games

Oh la la, is this gonna be losses on the bounce?

kingelderfield wrote:Good fun non championship rugby.

Such a shame these games arn't free to air in ozy, would certainly be a great advertisment for the wallabies

It's on channel 10 as well, mate.

The Loaded Dog wrote:

kingelderfield wrote:Good fun non championship rugby.

Such a shame these games arn't free to air in ozy, would certainly be a great advertisment for the wallabies

It's on channel 10 as well, mate.

Excellent

Do the AB's have any get out jail free cards left?

See Kevy's ear... or what's left of it?

Very entertaining and fast paced game. Some of those passes are amazing.

I think the crowd is down due to the fact that it is almost a dead rubber. NZ can't lose the BC.
Also a big football derby is on at the same time and maybe a few dual rugby-soccer fans have an interest in that - given that Brisbane are reigning champs. (Poor excuse I know!) And it's not really rugby weather here either... although that may explain why the ABs look a little off their game.

Both sides missing a few 1st string players but I'll never write the ABs off with 20 mins to go.

You boys are playing like I haven't seen them play for a while. They're blowing the ABs away. Congratulations on the win that is inevitably coming your way LD.

I won't write them off either , ld ; but I am starting to think the Wallabies might just hang on to this one...

Entertaining

Hi you two!
Let's just wait and see, yeah. Nothing would surprise me but you both make good points.

See.

Me and my big mouth ! Back on the line...

Mmmm

Someones counting the cards

That crowd figure cant be right. Looks like 35k at most with all those empty seats.

Can't see ozy holding here

Eight minutes to go : reckon the Wallabies have to score again to hold this game - they won't hold these blokes off otherwise...

No pressure then , Nic...

tough call on macal there

Surely McCaw should have had a yellow there 3 xs and a previous warning for not rolling