All Blacks talk up Wallaby challenge

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WALLABY WONDER: All Blacks lock Tom Donnelly admits New Zealand is wary of an Australian team coming off a morale-boosting win over South Africa.

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If you listen to some people, the All Blacks only have to turn up at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night to waltz off with a 10th straight win over the Wallabies.

Let's face it, the Australians have struggled to come up with the right answers against Graham Henry's men at the best of times over the last three years as they've succumbed to those nine defeats on the trot.

And this most certainly is not the best of times, even if the Wallabies are coming off as morale-boosting a win as they've had under Robbie Deans.

The Australians must surely be operating on fumes as they stagger, rather than swagger, to the finish line of the Tri-Nations.

They've just played back-to-back tests – and fairly monumental encounters at that – against the Boks at altitude. Then they've had to jump on a plane, still bruised and battered from an epic 41-39 victory in Bloemfontein, and make the long haul back to Sydney where a well-rested All Blacks side awaited them.

Gee, if they weren't Australians you could almost feel sorry for them.

But that was an aspect of the week's preparations that Henry's men were determined not to be distracted by.

"It is a big ask," said in-form lock Tom Donnelly yesterday. "But it's just part of footy - everyone has to do it. We all have to do it in the Super 14 - play a game in South Africa and fly home and play the following week.

"It's nothing new for them. They'll just be ready for it and treat it as a challenge they've got to overcome."

In fact, rather than expecting a wobbling Wallabies side to limp into ANZ Stadium, the All Blacks are pretty sure they're going to see the opposite – an outfit buoyed by an historic victory on the highveld and highly motivated by the chance to end an horrific losing streak at All Blacks' hands.

"We only lost three games to South Africa last year and for that first test in Auckland we were hell-bent on doing whatever we could to win that game," added Donnelly. "So they'll be exactly the same and it will be up to us to see how e handle it and whether we can put the pressure back on them."

All Blacks rookie Rene Ranger reckoned it would be foolish of the New Zealanders to under-estimate an Australian side burning for revenge.

"You can't afford to," the exciting Northland utility back said. "If they get a sniff, man they'll get you. I suppose it's pretty hard coming off two weeks at altitude, but we expect them to come out real physical, play a faster game and just give it all they've got."

With both teams not due to name their lineups until Thursday, the major speculation is going to revolve around how many changes the respective coaches will make.

Henry seems set to rotate his squad for the first time this Tri-Nations, with the selectors weighing the wisdom of introducing a number of backup men into starting duty.

Rookie five-eighth Aaron Cruden is a certainty to start in the No 10 jersey vacated by Dan Carter's decision to have ankle surgery, but he could have company as the likes of Israel Dagg, Piri Weepu, Victor Vito and, possibly, Corey Flynn get the chance to press their claims in starting roles.

What Henry and his fellow selectors will have to weigh is just how much disruption a potential handful of changes would make and balance that against the need to build some depth and keep that winning streak alive.

Deans' concerns will be more around how to get the best out of a squad that must be tired, no matter the lift they received from that epic victory in Bloemfontein.

He will definitely be without suspended backup hooker Saia Faingaa who has been replaced by Kiwi-born Huia Edmonds, while wing Drew Mitchell (hamstring) was the only major concern after the weekend's exertions.

Deans may be tempted to ride the momentum from Bloemfontein and see if he can cajole one more big performance from his men. What he sees on the training field over the next couple of days will influence that.

One thing is certain: the Australians are sick of losing to the All Blacks also as much as the New Zealanders are desperate to keep their winning streak alive.

- © Fairfax NZ News