All Blacks coach Steve Hansen says team is motivated to bounce back from Lions draw in Bledisloe Cup

ALL Black coach Hansen’s arrival press conference in Sydney was very different to the one last year.

The All Blacks arrive at the Inter Continental Hotel in Double Bay on Sunday.

STEVE Hansen gave little away upon arriving in Sydney on Sunday, on the bugging controversy and old foe Michael Cheika, suggesting the All Blacks will let the Wallabies do the talking in Bledisloe Cup promotion this week.

This time last year, Hansen lobbed at Sydney airport lobbing verbal grenades at Cheika and accurately revealing secret selections the Wallabies would make, but a more subdued All Blacks coach slipped into town ahead of Saturday’s Test at ANZ Stadium.

Hansen has already heard Cheika’s comments about the bug-gate case which remains before the courts and could conclude on Friday - the day before the game.

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Cheika confronted Hansen last year accusing the All Blacks of “crossing the line” after insinuating he’d bugged them after finding a listening device in their hotel - which police now believe was planted by their own security man.

The All Blacks are clearly not worried about security breaches this year, checking into the same hotel as the bug was found and using the same security firm that “found” the device.

Hansen is unsure what to expect from Cheika this week.

“We’ll see how it goes, we’ve got to help sell tickets don’t we?” Hansen said.

The Wallabies are confident of producing one of the great upsets in Bledisloe history by defeating the world champions after New Zealand drew their June series 1-all against the British & Irish Lions.

“I’m confident that we’re well aware of the flaws we had exposed, and I’m confident we’ve worked hard at trying to improve them, it’s going to be a good game,” Hansen said.

“[The Wallabies] are a talented bunch, and I know they’ve got their problems at the moment with infighting about the Force thing, but that’s not our concern.

“What is our concern is the talent they’ve got, and they’ve been well prepared, they’ve had two or three extra weeks to prepare for this than we have and I know they’ve been working hard, that’ll make them a tough obstacle on Saturday.”

Sonny Bill Williams arrives with the All Blacks at their team hotel in Sydney on Sunday.

Hansen said his playing group would not have a problem firing up for this game.

“It’s not my job to motivate the team, the job of the player is to motivate himself,” he said.

“Does coming off a draw put people’s bums a little bit closer to the front of the seat rather than the back of it? Yeah, it does, because we’re disappointed with how things went and we wanted more.

“We’ll make the Rugby Championship a stronger feeling for us and one where we really want to show how good we can play, and we probably didn’t do that in the Lions series.”

After the Lions result, the All Blacks are flirting with the idea of starting two openside flankers in Ardie Savea and Sam Cane.

The All Blacks arrive at the Inter Continental Hotel in Double Bay on Sunday.

One definite selection headache has already been solved with hooker Dane Coles ruled out after suffering a head knock in last Friday’s practice match, after a season blighted by concussion symptoms.

It means Codie Taylor, who started all three Tests against the Lions, will retain the No.2 jersey this weekend, while Coles will train with the squad in Sydney and be available a week later in Dunedin.

“[It’s] nothing too serious but enough for us to say we don’t want to play him, he should be available for Dunedin,” Hansen said.

“I don’t want to build it up bigger than it is but we’re taking a pretty positive stance on it. With head injuries we just think give him a week and he’ll be dead right.

“He’s a bit frustrated because he wants to play but the doc doesn’t want him to, we’re supporting the doc.”