By JIM KAYES - The Dominion Post | Monday, 04 August 2008
The ledger has been emphatically squared. Bring on Brisbane. The only pity after Saturday night's 39-10 dismantling of the Wallabies, before Eden Park suffers a similar fate, is that the third round in this captivating tussle is six weeks away.
The All Blacks have a trip to South Africa first, but that Tri-Nations match is almost a sideshow to the fascinating contest for the Bledisloe Cup.
The All Blacks had seemed down and out after Sydney but, like all great heavyweights, picked themselves off the canvas and fought back.
And boy did they fight back.
The Wallabies had fancied their chances of breaking a 22-year losing streak at Eden Park and securing their first away win in the Tri-Nations since 2001.
Instead, they were thumped by an All Blacks side that did everything they had failed to do a week earlier.
They played intelligently, kicked into position, were patient and waited for the pressure to take its toll, and took their chances when they were on offer.
"It was a big day for New Zealand rugby, wasn't it?" relieved All Blacks coach Graham Henry admitted. "There were a lot of people under a lot of pressure and they are pretty relieved."
He would count himself among those as a third consecutive defeat would have had many baying for his head. Now, the All Blacks are firmly back in the hunt to retain the Bledisloe Cup with only one more win needed from the tests in Brisbane and Hong Kong, in November.
"We've been under a lot of pressure and we had to respond and the boys did so," Henry said.
While he had his hands full during the week redrafting the gameplan after the debacle in Sydney, Henry said motivating the players had been simple.
"Last Saturday created the edge. Just sitting in the dressing shed after the game was like a morgue. They just needed to think back on that.
"It was just a matter of getting the tactics right to play the game well, and the guys did that."
Wallaby coach Robbie Deans, hailed last week as Australian rugby's saviour, joined Eddie Jones and John Connolly as Wallaby coaches who failed to win away.
The Wallabies have lost 15 Tri-Nations tests outside Australia and Deans admitted Saturday night's performance was "not one we will look back on with pride".
"The game was a mirror of last week. They didn't allow us to build pressure, and as a consequence we were unable to get into the game. It was one of those days when you try to create pressure and intensity and nothing works."
Henry admitted the 29-point win - the biggest against Australia since the All Blacks won by the same margin, 50-21 in 2003 - and the emphatic manner of the victory had caught him by surprise. He praised skipper Richie McCaw for bringing the best out of his players.
Henry was an emotional sight in the coaches' box during the test and conceded later that it had been a draining week.
"I've been under a bit of pressure. You lose two in a row and it makes a huge difference to your life.
"The way the guys played and the way they approached the game was very special.
"I was probably showing a bit of emotion and a bit of relief as well."
It was Henry's 94th test and 55th with the All Blacks. He ranked it among one of the more special wins in his career.
"It was a special day. We've had a bit of a roll for the last four years, but we are developing a new team and New Zealand rugby is under a bit of pressure created by the World Cup loss.
"They tell me there's reduced interest in the game, and I think everybody involved in New Zealand rugby wanted a big performance and it happened."
No comments:
Post a Comment