'Can you defend?': NZ great's Wallabies warning

9 months ago 69

New Zealand large Mils Muliaina is tipping the resurgent All Blacks to people Australia's young backline stars Carter Gordon and Mark Nawaqanitawase in the Bledisloe Cup cauldron astatine the MCG connected Saturday.

Organisers are predicting a assemblage successful excess of 80,000 successful the last location crippled for the Wallabies earlier the Rugby World Cup.

With a 0-2 commencement to his 2nd coming arsenic Wallabies coach, Eddie Jones is hopeless to alteration the narrative with lone games against the All Blacks successful Dunedin and satellite No.2 France successful Paris to travel earlier the World Cup kicks off.

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Gordon thrown into MCG cauldron

All Blacks manager Ian Foster has eased immoderate of the immense unit connected his ain shoulders by outclassing Argentina and South Africa successful a dynamic commencement to 2023.

And Muliaina, who played 100 Tests for the All Blacks and won the 2011 World Cup, said Foster and respected onslaught manager Joe Schmidt would find immoderate evident areas to analyse connected Melbourne's iconic arena.

"They'll respect the Australians," Muliaina said connected Stan Sport's Rugby Heaven.

Gordon's cracking effort connected debut

"But they'll really spell retired determination and astir apt effort and people immoderate of their cardinal players similar Gordon. You know, he's coming retired determination and we accidental he's got nary fearfulness but they privation to enactment them nether pressure.

"They'll privation to spell retired a small spot wider to Mark and say: 'well, tin you defend?'

"And that's the benignant of worldly that america arsenic Kiwis and arsenic All Blacks look for, is however overmuch unit tin you enactment connected apical of those guys to marque definite they're conscionable a small spot disconnected their crippled due to the fact that it has a travel connected effect to everyone else."

NEW PODCAST! Sean Maloney, Morgan Turinui and Stephen Hoiles unpack a heartbreaking Wallabies nonaccomplishment against the Pumas and hunt for Bledisloe Cup hope

Gordon, 22, volition make his archetypal Test commencement successful his adopted location metropolis aft 2 awesome cameos disconnected the bench.

The Queensland merchandise is simply a terrific and pugnacious defender, compared by Jones to South Africa's World Cup victor Butch James.

But the All Blacks mightiness fancy their chances of uncovering wage retired wide against Nawaqanitawase, Australia's champion subordinate successful the deflating nonaccomplishment to Argentina.

Mark Nawaqanitawase of the Wallabies reacts. (Getty)

Nawaqanitawase has improved his defence successful 2023 but it remains a enactment successful advancement arsenic helium prepares to look the accelerated feet of All Blacks winger Mark Telea.

"I deliberation the pugnacious happening for the 2 wingers for the Wallabies (Nawaqanitawase and Marika Koroibete), is we cognize what they tin bash successful attack, but defensively, they're going to person to people up," Wallabies fable Tim Horan said.

"Whether they travel successful and jam successful due to the fact that there's going to beryllium numbers outside. (All Blacks winger) Will Jordan is playing unthinkable rugby astatine the infinitesimal and (fullback Beauden) Barrett astatine the back, truthful hard to stop."

Nawaqanitawase electrifies the crowd

The All Blacks made conscionable 1 forced alteration to their starting XV, with Dalton Papali'i replacing injured skipper Sam Cane astatine openside flanker.

There are 5 changes connected the seat with Sam Whitelock, Anton Lienert-Brown, Cam Roigard, Ofa Tu'ungafasi and Luke Jacobson coming successful for Tupou Vaa'i, Braydon Ennor, Finlay Christie, Tamaiti Williams and Papali'i.

"What I similar astir the All Blacks, successful their backline, they look to conscionable prime players retired of position, they prime the champion players and past conscionable find a presumption for them.

"Barrett astatine fullback, Will Jordan plays connected the helping and past (Jordie) Barrett astatine 12 arsenic well. That operation 12, 13 with (Rieko) Ioane is looking beauteous good," Horan observed.

The All Blacks volition besides manus a archetypal Test headdress to Hurricanes halfback Cam Roigard, who has been named connected the seat down Aaron Smith.

"Through Super Rugby we each saw his growth," Foster said.

Cameron Roigard of the Hurricanes makes a break. (Getty)

"He likes to onslaught the edges, he's got a bully kicking crippled and a beauteous accordant walk and he's been truly focused connected however helium fits that into the plan."

WALLABIES (15-1): Andrew Kellaway, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Jordan Petaia, Samu Kerevi, Marika Koroibete, Carter Gordon, Tate McDermott, Rob Valetini, Tom Hooper, Jed Holloway, Will Skelton, Nick Frost, Allan Alaalatoa (c), Dave Porecki, Angus Bell

Reserves: Jordan Uelese, James Slipper, Taniela Tupou, Richie Arnold, Rob Leota, Nic White, Quade Cooper, Izaia Perese

ALL BLACKS (15-1): Beauden Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Mark Telea, Richie Mo'unga, Aaron Smith, Ardie Savea (c), Dalton Papali'i, Shannon Frizell, Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Tyrel Lomax, Codie Taylor, Ethan de Groot

Reserves: Samisoni Taukei'aho, Ofa Tu'ungafasi, Nepo Laulala, Sam Whitelock, Luke Jacobson, Cam Roigard, Anton Lienert-Brown, Caleb Clarke

Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)

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