Bledisloe Cup: Wallaby skipper fires back at All Blacks after they reveal plans to target rookies
Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper is not focused on history but he can promise his ‘really good, exciting young team’ will provide stern opposition for the cocky All Blacks tonight.
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Fed up with being reminded about how long it’s been since Australia last held the Bledisloe Cup, Wallabies skipper Michael Hooper is backing his young teammates to turn the page in Saturday’s third Test at ANZ Stadium.
For the record, the All Blacks have had the Bledisloe Cup continuously since 2003 but that could all change if the Wallabies win the two Tests on home soil.
“I‘m not focused on history, I’m focused on tomorrow night,” Hooper said.
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“We have a really good opportunity in Sydney, we have a really good, exciting young team that‘s playing some pretty good footy. We’re looking to improve.”
Injuries to senior players have forced the Wallabies to select a side low on international experience, with five-eighth Noah Lolesio and inside centre Irae Simone both set to make their Test debuts in a side where seven of the 15 starters have worn the gold jersey five or less times.
Unsurprisingly, the All Blacks have threatened to attack the Australian newcomers while poking fun at the Wallabies defence after they missed 40 tackles in the 27-7 second test loss in Auckland.
“It wouldn‘t surprise me if they’d be doing a wee bit of tackling practice,” New Zealand captain Sam Cane said.
“Everyone knows your defence has to be good to win Test matches.
“We‘re still confident that if we can hold onto the ball we can force them to make a lot of tackles and hopefully miss a few, too.”
Hooper’s heard all that same bluster from the All Blacks before, including their last match in Australia in 2019 when the Wallabies won 47-26 – marking New Zealand’s heaviest ever defeat.
Still, Hooper is the first to acknowledge the Wallabies let themselves down badly after drawing the series opener in Wellington, which has opened the possibility Australia can win back the Bledisloe Cup just by winning at home.
“We talked about being accurate a lot during the week, the way we kicked the ball to the opposition, the way we were turned over through our own errors and the way the Kiwis put pressure on us,” he said.
“We need to control our game a bit better. We want to pressure them to give us some opportunities, which we think we‘re capable of.”
While declaring that the All Blacks will try and target Australia’s new midfield, which includes rising Queensland sensation Jordan Petaia, Cane did concede it would be risky for the Kiwis to underestimate the younger Wallabies in case it backfired.
“They‘re quality young footballers. Anyone who chucks that Wallabies jersey on they’ll be going out there to put their best foot forward,” Cane said.
“If you think about most people who debut they have a pretty good game because it‘s a realisation of a dream.
“Like any Test match we‘ll certainly be looking to put pressure on the guys that drive them around the park.”
Originally published as Bledisloe Cup: Wallaby skipper fires back at All Blacks after they reveal plans to target rookies