Herald columnist and former All Black Justin Marshall looks at key issues in the Rugby Championship.

Daniel Richardson looks back on five notable tests between New Zealand and their transtasman rivals in Sydney since the turn of the century

Prop Paddy Ryan and uncapped winger Tom English have been added to the Wallabies Rugby Championship squad, with hamstring injuries set to rule out Laurie Weeks and Joe Tomane for the first two matches against New Zealand.

There might be a few players from the Crusaders who will have extra motivation in the All Blacks' camp this week.

When the All Blacks take the field against the Wallabies on Saturday, they'll know they stand 80 minutes away from a landmark 18 successive wins.

A week today, the All Blacks will be in Sydney looking to extend their consecutive victories to a world record 18.

It's understandable that, for a lot of people, last night's Super Rugby final was being viewed as a kind of unofficial third Bledisloe Cup test.

Australians are irrepressible. Admirably so. This time 12 months ago rugby was the black sheep of their respective football codes - scarily close to oblivion.

There's a Rubik's cube inside the test selection labyrinth for Wallabies coach Ewen "Link" McKenzie.

I have been on holiday in Australia for a couple of weeks where I got the impression there's a fair bit of confidence brewing.

The Wallabies and their new coach Ewen McKenzie avoided Daniel Carter last season.

It would be the Wallabies who stand in the way of the All Blacks' world record search for consecutive test wins. They've had a habit of interrupting those attempts in the last two decades.

It was their lowest winning score in 87 years but the Wallabies took an important step in Melbourne on Saturday night in their quest to be a "team for all seasons".

The Blues have secured their spot in the 2024 Super Rugby finals, beating the Brumbies 34-20. Video / Sky Sport

All eyes will be on Michael Hooper, the youngest Wallabies skipper in 53 years, when he leads Australia for the first time tonight.

The rugby world has turned upside down. Australia, with its history of scrum woes.

Wallabies stalwarts Benn Robinson and Wycliff Palu are in danger while a dearth of wingers may mean Pat McCabe has a remarkable test reactivation out wide.

Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie will use the November tour to Europe to fine-tune his squad for the 2015 World Cup.

Wallabies halfback Will Genia says he hasn't thought about the national team captaincy in the wake of Ben Mowen's shock decision to leave Australian rugby at the end of the 2014 season.

Australian captain Ben Mowen is turning his back on the Wallabies and the Brumbies, announcing that he'll play his rugby in Europe at the end of the Super 15.

In three tumultuous months, Ewen McKenzie has done what he was hired to do - reinvigorate the Wallabies.

Frustrated Wales coach Warren Gatland aimed post-match shots at referee Wayne Barnes as his Six Nations champions fell to a tormenting ninth straight loss to Australia.

Ewen "Link" McKenzie unlocked the secret to Quade Cooper long ago and is again reaping rich rewards.

Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie has praised the character of his strike-torn side as they put a tumultuous week behind them to guts out a win over Scotland at Murrayfield.