Wallabies backline 'no stroll' for All Blacks

All Blacks Tony Woodcock (left) and Dan Carter (right) compete for the ball with Derren Witcombe as the team train in Sydney with a game of soccer. Picture / Fotopress

After pondering their failure to break through a problematic Springboks backline, the All Blacks realise Australia won't be any easier to crack in Saturday's Tri-Nations/Bledisloe Cup rugby match at Sydney's Telstra Stadium.

Although they outscored the Lions 12 tries to three over the course of an emphatic series victory, the All Blacks are again at risk of struggling to find the try line against their more familiar southern hemisphere adversaries.

In finishing the Tri-Nations third last year, the All Blacks managed only four tries. Judging by the effectiveness with which the Springboks closed them down in Cape Town last weekend, there may be more lean pickings on Saturday against a side also renowned for their defence.

Rico Gear was the only All Blacks try scorer at Newlands, the product of a smartly crafted move that ultimately was not enough to spare the All Blacks from a 16-22 defeat.

There is no mystery to the Springboks defence, other than the fact they are rarely penalised for offside.

They accelerate off the line at breakneck speed and cramp space, increasing the potential for an intercept -- a feat Jean de Villiers executed on Saturday for the Boks' only five-pointer.

While the Springboks are muscular and abrasive, All Blacks fullback Leon MacDonald says the Wallabies back line presents a different, though just as formidable, obstacle.

"Australia are probably a lot more organised and structured.

"There were holes in South Africa but we just weren't able to exploit them properly. Australia are normally pretty tight across the field," he said.

While taking on South Africa is primarily a physical challenge, breaching the Wallabies requires a more cerebral approach.

"South Africa are a lot more physical and they just try to overpower you. Australia are very clever team and they use the ball well," MacDonald said.

"As well as the physical challenge, it's more of a mental challenge playing against the Aussies.

"If you let your guard down they will punish you, they have clever ball players looking for holes who try to open the defence all day. At the end of the game quite often you feel it's been an exhausting challenge to try and contain them."

On a positive note, the All Blacks will confront a rearranged backline on Saturday, though they are also missing halfback Byron Kelleher and potentially captain Tana Umaga, who will make a call on his injured ankle tomorrow.

For the Wallabies, Matt Giteau will get a rare run at first five-eighth in place if the experienced Stephen Larkham while league converts Mat Rogers and Wendell Sailor are also unavailable.

Chris Latham is expected to be cleared of a hamstring strain today though his Queensland team-mate, rookie wing Drew Mitchell is ready to slot in at fullback if necessary, though he is most probably headed for the left wing in place of Sailor.

While Larkham is out for the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury, MacDonald was wary of the threat Giteau posed.

"Anyone with Larkham's sort of experience and that sort of skill is going to be sorely missed, but sometimes a change in personnel can spark a team.

"You take someone like Stephen Larkham out and you've still got Matt Giteau."

Umaga gave the Wallabies a charitable insight into what they can expect ahead of their attempt to force a Bledisloe Cup decider in Auckland on September 3.

"We're not going to change much, we just have to execute to the best of our abilities," he said.

"We made 18 line breaks (against South Africa) we just didn't take out our chances.

"If you're making 18 breaks you don't want to change much -- it's what we did after the initial break," said Umaga, lamenting an epidemic of pushed passes and dropped ball.

Meanwhile, the Newlands disappointment aside, lurking in the back of the All Blacks' minds is the realisation they have only won two of seven tests against Australia at Telstra Stadium since 1999.

"It has always been difficult to win over here," said MacDonald, who last played there in the World Cup semifinal debacle.

"We've done it the odd time, but not very often."

- NZPA