All Blacks skipper's 'fear of losing' admission

2 years ago 145

All Blacks skipper Sam Cane has had capable of the sinking feeling that comes with letting a rugby-mad federation down and blotting the team's affluent past book.

New Zealand has experienced unwanted firsts successful 2022 - losing astatine location to Ireland and Argentina arsenic portion of an alarming downward inclination successful which the All Blacks person mislaid six of their past 9 Tests and slipped to 4th successful the satellite rankings.

Cane and manager Ian Foster some survived the fierce backlash from Kiwi supporters with the New Zealand Rugby committee backing the duo done to adjacent year's Rugby World Cup.

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Their past outing was a 53-3 demolition of Argentina to occurrence the All Blacks to the apical of a congested Rugby Championship ladder.

But a nonaccomplishment to the arsenic Jekyll and Hyde Wallabies in Melbourne connected Thursday would rip unfastened those wounds and the show of Cane handing the Bledisloe Cup to James Slipper astatine Eden Park connected September 24 is nigh connected unthinkable aft a 2 decennary residence crossed the Tasman.

"Winning and losing are some beardown motivators but successful antithetic ways," Cane said astatine the All Blacks captain's tally astatine Lakeside Stadium connected Wednesday.

"Yeah, there's a fearfulness of losing it, there's the pressure, but you look astatine that successful a affirmative rotation too, it's thing that motivates america to marque definite it's not connected our watch.

"At the infinitesimal the mode we presumption it is no-one's holding the trophy, erstwhile it comes up for grabs again each twelvemonth it's connected the line. And this twelvemonth some teams person a bully accidental of winning it, truthful it's up to america to get retired determination and instrumentality it."

In the reduced two-Test series, the Wallabies indispensable triumph oregon gully astatine Marvel Stadium to support their trophy hopes alive.

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Australian large Drew Mitchell told Stan Sport this period that the Wallabies had a uncommon accidental to prey connected immoderate intelligence vulnerabilities.

"There are going to beryllium immoderate doubts with these All Blacks," Mitchell said.

"They are nether a helluva batch of pressure, media pressure, the expectations from themselves but besides their fans. I deliberation if they commencement truly speedy and commencement to play connected a small spot of those insecurities and that uncertainty past possibly the Wallabies tin measurement up and bash what they did to the Springboks past week successful Adelaide."

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Cane was asked astir the chat successful Australia that this represented the champion Wallabies accidental to wrest backmost the Bledisloe successful immoderate time.

"The happening astir the Aussies, it doesn't substance what's going on, they've ever got plentifulness of assurance successful themselves and their ability, and they've shown that clip and clip again successful however they tin beforehand up," the openside flanker said.

"There's been immoderate implicit classical matches successful games that I've been progressive successful that spell close down to the wire. And I expect the strength to beryllium close up determination time night, close from the outset. I deliberation it volition beryllium a brutal brushwood and we're acceptable for it."

Both teams volition diagnostic reworked escaped guardant trios for what is ever a fiercely contested facet of Bledisloe encounters.

Cane volition beryllium paired with No.8 Hoskins Sotutu and converted blindside Scott Barrett successful the lack of vice-captain Ardie Savea (expecting a child) and Shannon Frizell (ribs).

That means the All Blacks volition fundamentally beryllium fielding 3 locks astatine Marvel Stadium with seasoned Brodie Retallick promoted from seat duties.

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"Scooter's (Barrett) done a truly bully occupation astatine six the times he's been called upon astatine the commencement of the twelvemonth and it conscionable makes consciousness having the large antheral Brodie back, helium conscionable loves these encounters," Cane said.

"And past Hoskins has been patiently waiting for his accidental and helium had different awesome Super Rugby campaign. He's been grooming the location down with us, he's been putting connected a bully amusement successful helping america hole each week, and I cognize he's acceptable for his opportunities and excited by it."

The Wallabies back-row trio besides features 2 caller faces with super-sub Pete Samu replacing Fraser McReight astatine No.7 and Rob Leota taking Jed Holloway's blindside role.

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"They've picked up a escaped guardant trio that are each bully beardown shot carriers and we're anticipating the crippled to beryllium rather physical," Cane observed.

"The breakdowns are ever important but often effect of a breakdown is however good the squad is playing connected apical successful presumption of getting implicit the summation enactment with carries. It's our occupation to nullify that and enactment it backmost implicit them."

Cane besides noted Australia's improved maul nether the guidance of forwards manager Dan McKellar and touched connected the archetypal midweek Bledisloe since 1994.

That could beryllium a bully omen for the Wallabies: it was the Sydney Football Stadium Test successful which George Gregan denied Jeff Wilson successful his celebrated tackle.

"The kilter's been thrown retired having a Thursday nighttime successful presumption of our days and the connection we usage due to the fact that we're truthful utilized to the structure," Cane said.

"But yeah, can't hold for it."

WALLABIES (15-1): Andrew Kellaway, Tom Wright, Len Ikitau, Lalakai Foketi, Marika Koroibete, Bernard Foley, Jake Gordon, Rob Valetini, Pete Samu, Rob Leota, Matt Philip, Jed Holloway, Allan Alaalatoa, Dave Porecki, James Slipper (c)

Reserves: Folau Fainga'a, Scott Sio, Pone Fa'amausili, Darcy Swain, Fraser McReight, Nic White, Reece Hodge, Jordan Petaia

ALL BLACKS (15-1): Jordie Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, David Havili, Caleb Clarke, Richie Mo'unga, Aaron Smith, Hoskins Sotutu, Sam Cane (c), Scott Barrett, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Tyrel Lomax, Samisoni Taukei'aho, Ethan de Groot

Reserves: Dane Coles, George Bower, Fletcher Newell, Akira Ioane, Dalton Papali'i, Finlay Christie, Beauden Barrett, Quinn Tupaea

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