Big incentive for All Blacks to prepare well for Bledisloe Cup clash

Anyone else sensing a Westpac Stadium ambush?

All the ingredients are in place, as Australia cop a pasting for Saturday's 42-8 loss to New Zealand in Sydney. Their coach, Michael Cheika, is right under the pump, they have injury problems and no-one gives them a chance of getting within 40 points of the All Blacks.

After all the talking they did last week, the Wallabies' performance bordered on pathetic and you assume there's no way they'll be that bad in Wellington this Saturday.

We've just got to expect it will be a completely different encounter," All Blacks flanker Sam Cane said.

"Jeez, any rugby team that's wounded typically bounces back a lot stronger and I wouldn't expect anything less of the Aussies. They'll come here with a real steely determination to prove a point to themselves and to their media, who have been a bit rough on them."

That's only half the equation. The other reason Saturday looms as such as intriguing occasion is the quality of what the All Blacks did last week.

If we agree Australia can't be any worse and New Zealand can't get a lot better, then there's suddenly the potential for a real contest. Maybe even an upset.

The All Blacks are only human and they're going to have to be bloody hard on themselves this week. Their preparation for the Sydney game was terrific, but it almost has to be better this time.

"It's definitely something we're aware of," said Cane.

"Not just in rugby, but in sport in general, it's a pretty tough challenge to back up a very good performance with another very good one. But we're certainly not lacking motivation, because get this one right and we get to have a sip out of the Bledisloe [Cup] and that would be pretty special and that's driving us pretty strongly."

Everyone needs a foe and, or so long, Australia have been a good one. But from the heights of last year's Rugby World Cup final, they appear to have fallen a few levels.

Their confidence won't have been done wonders by what Cheika's demeanour after the 42-8 defeat either. He was exceptionally down and said the match had been without positives and questioned his own coaching performance.

Some might construe that as honest but others - perhaps the Wallabies players - might feel it indicated Cheika doesn't know the way forward.

Surely they'll all be able to rouse themselves for one big performance this week, at least.

 

PAUL SEISER/PHOTOSPORT

Sam Cane, left, rushes to congratulate fellow All Blacks flanker Jerome Kaino on his try against Australia on Saturday.

 

 

     

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