RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP: Australia v New Zealand

25.08.2012
Australia v New Zealand in Auckland

Venue: Eden Park

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)

	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	DIFF	BT	BL	PTS
South Africa	1	1	0	0	27	6	21	0	0	4
New Zealand	1	1	0	0	27	19	8	0	0	4
Australia	1	0	0	1	19	27	-8	0	0	0
Argentina	1	0	0	1	6	27	-21	0	0	0

Preview
Is there any certainty in any game of rugby? If there is a certainty how dangerous is it to predict and outcome? Very!

In this test match all would seem lost for Australia. They are down to their third captain this year. Out injured are James Horwill and David Pocock. Will Genia, young though he is, is a player with experience on his shoulders. The sort of player anybody would look up to. He will certainly do well.

But look at Australia’s woeful injury list and think of a team able to play a decent game of test rugby with such a list. Look at how differently the All Blacks cope without either McCaw or Carter. That’s only TWO players!Thankfully the AB’s could play out the Rugby World Cup with only one of those illustrious players absent at a time! Australia has not only lost Pocock and Horwill but think about O’Connor.

Now something about pressure. It either works for you or against you. We have the Australian team under pressure because of injuries. The whole team is under pressure because they are under performing. Coach Robbie Deans is under intense pressure to make his team perform. Another below par performance and Australia could be with a new coach (and yet more pressure!). Australia hasn’t won at Eden Park since ages ago.

Robbie Deans. Is his time running out?
Image thanks to theroar.com.au

And then there is Quade Cooper. His comments, or lack of them, appeared to backfire as a publicity stunt. Or did it? Was he just saying ‘lets keep the comments to on the paddock stuff. Forget the rest’. Hmmm-More pressure!

But pressure can work for you. It can motivate. It can inspire. It can lift a team when down is not an option (or nowhere else to go). How the Aussies handle the pressure will determine the outcome of the game.

What about the All Black camp. Experienced prop Tony Woodcock is out injured. Wayne Crockett takes his place. This is not so serious as one would think. New Zealand has a wealth of depth in their ranks. Something Australia does not have. Apart from that everything seems to be rosy. Home ground, home crowd, a win already over Australia.SBW’s farewell game Looking good.

Another win here to New Zealand and the Bledisloe Cup is all wrapped up for another season.

Last Five Encounters
18.08.2012 New Zealand 27-19 in Sydney (Bledisloe Cup; Rugby Champ.)16.10.2011 New Zealand 20-6 in Auckland (World Cup, Semi-final)
27.08.2011 Australia 25-20 in Brisbane (Bledisloe Cup, Tri-Nations)
06.08.2011 New Zealand 30-14 in Auckland (Bledisloe Cup, Tri-Nations)
30.10.2010 Australia 26-24 in Hong Kong (Bledisloe Cup)

Note: Australia has not won at Eden Park since 1986.

New Zealand Last Five P 5, W 5
18.08.2012 v Australia W 27-19 in Sydney (Bledisoe Cup; Rugby Champ.)23.06.2012 v Ireland W 60-0 in Hamilton
16.06.2012 v Ireland W 22-19 in Christchurch
09.06.2012 v Ireland W 42-10 in Auckland
23.10.2011 v France W 8-7 in Auckland (World Cup, Final)

Australia Last Five P 5, W 3, L 2
18.08.2012 v New Zealand L 19-27 in Sydney (Bledisloe Cup; Rugby Champ.)23.06.2012 v Wales W 20-19 in Sydney
16.06.2012 v Wales W 25-23 in Melbourne
09.06.2012 v Wales W 27-19 in Brisbane
05.06.2012 v Scotland L 6-9 in Newcastle

GWC Rugby Ranking
World Table:-New Zealand 1st, Australia 2nd
Oceania Table:-New Zealand 1st, Australia 2nd

IRB Ranking Points
New Zealand 92.29, Australia 86.19

Prediction: New Zealand by 16 points

Teams

New Zealand

15		Israel Dagg	Hawkes Bay
14		Corey Jane	Wellington
13		Ma'a Nonu	Auckland
12		Sonny Bill Williams	Canterbury
11		Hosea Gear	Wellington
10		Daniel Carter	Canterbury
9		Aaron Smith	Manawatu
8		Kieran Read	Canterbury
7		Richard McCaw (Capt.)	Canterbury
6		Liam Meesam	Waikato
5		Samuel Whitelock	Canterbury
4		Luke Romano	Canterbury
3		Owen Franks	Canterbury
2		Keven Mealamu	Auckland
1		Wayne Crockett	Canterbury
16		Andrew Hore	Taranaki
17		Benjamin Franks	Tasman
18		Brodie Retallick	Bay of Plenty
19		Victor Vito	Wellington
20		Piri Weepu	Auckland
21		Aaron Cruden	Manawatu
22		Benjamin Smith	Otago
		HEAD COACH: Steven Hansen

 

Australia

15		Adam Ashley-Cooper	NSW Waratahs
14		Drew Mitchell	NSW Waratahs
13		Robert Horne	NSW Waratahs
12		Berrick Barnes	NSW Waratahs
11		Digby Ioane	Queensland Reds
10		Quade Cooper	Queensland Reds
9		William Genia (Capt.)	Queensland Reds
8		Scott Higginbotham	Queensland Reds
7		Michael Hooper	ACT Brumbies
6		David Dennis	NSW Waratahs
5		Nathan Sharpe	WA Western Force
4		Sitaleki Timani	NSW Waratahs
3		Benjamin Alexander	ACT Brumbies
2		Stephan Moore	ACT Brumbies
1		Ben Robinson	NSW Waratahs
16		Saia Fainga’a	Queensland Reds
17		James Slipper	Queensland Reds
18		Radiki Samo	NSW Waratahs
19		Liam Gill *	Queensland Reds
20		Nicholas Phipps	Melbourne Rebels
21		Anthony Fainga’a	Queensland Reds
22		Kurtley Beale	Melbourne Rebels
		HEAD COACH: Robbie Deans

* New test cap if called upon.