Can the All Blacks continue their dominance over the Wallabies at Eden Park? Video / Sky Sport
OPINION:
Those All Blacks supporters of a nervous disposition, worried that 2020 has already done quite enough to disrupt the natural order of things without messing with their team's incredible record at Eden Park, should breathe a little easier knowing that Caleb Clarke is starting in the No 11 jerseyagainst the Wallabies in Bledisloe II.
Rugby can be a complex game as far as the laws are concerned but strip it back like Clarke generally does and it's pretty basic. At its core is the importance of carrying the ball hard and tackling hard and the All Blacks didn't do enough of either during the 16-16 draw in Wellington last weekend.
They were, admitted head coach Ian Foster this past week, too passive, and that should be a genuine concern for him and his new coaching group.
All Blacks Caleb Clarke during the first Bledisloe Cup test. Photo / Photosport
A day after a significant decision was made on a national scale and nearly a year after the All Blacks were physically dominated by England in the World Cup semifinal at Yokohama, a different verdict will be handed down. Put simply, we'll see whether this new-look team have it in them to be consistently damaging with and without the ball and we'll get a clearer indication of where the Bledisloe Cup may reside at year's end.
If Clarke, a 21-year-old, can show the way on his test debut at Sky Stadium in Bledisloe I with the aggression and commitment he showed all year for the Blues, there is no reason why his far more experienced teammates can't follow suit in what is a hugely significant match for the game in New Zealand.
Caleb Clarke during training this week. Photo / Photosport
After seeing what Dave Rennie's similarly new-look outfit can deliver – a lot, as it happens – they can't use the unknown as an excuse and while Rieko Ioane, named on the reserves bench but in doubt due to a tight hamstring, was berated for not being able to do the basics when bombing a certain try in Wellington, some of his teammates were similarly guilty in more subtle ways.
"We've had some pretty clear focuses on areas we need to improve on so a lot of the messaging has and been based around that," skipper Sam Cane said after the captain's run on a gloriously warm Auckland afternoon on the eve of the test. "Hopefully we'll see that out there.
"A lot of our set-piece work was good but I think we can make a lot of shifts when it comes to our carry and cleanout work. I think we can get off the line a bit quicker and belt them there too."
If the All Blacks can't find it within themselves to respond to last week's disappointment at a place where they haven't lost since 1994 and last lost to the Wallabies in 1986, then they will be in a very dark place indeed ahead of two return matches in Australia.
"We're well aware there's lots of pressure on but there always is in test matches," Cane said. "There was lots on last week too. We just focus on what we can control and our preparation."
The All Blacks training this week. Photo / Photosport
A week after the late withdrawals of fullback Beauden Barrett and prop Nepo Laulala, that preparation has been hindered a little by Ioane's hamstring issue – Hurricanes and Wellington midfielder Peter Umaga-Jensen has travelled to Auckland to provide cover.
Barrett, meanwhile, is adamant his Achilles issue, which he has managed for 18 months, is under control.
"He's been really good," Cane said of Ioane's week after his try-scoring blunder. "Look, no one in our circle is blaming Rieko by any means. He carried on and trained and prepared as well as he has in any other week. I'm sure he'll bounce back."
Seven days after the All Blacks were forced to make 100 more tackles than their opponents and a couple of days after former head coach Graham Henry was recorded at a function saying New Zealand Rugby "c**ked up" by allowing Rennie to slip away to Australia, it remains to be seen whether the All Blacks can follow Ioane's lead.
