Kia ora whānau! Plenty of kiwis in Sydney 🖤 #AllBlacks #BledisloeCup pic.twitter.com/Zi1yw8u1F2 It’s a beautiful dry and sunny afternoon in Sydney but a westerly breeze could be a factor when the ball is hoisted to the skies.
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has had a word with the host broadcaster. The week has been good, great to get back together on the back of a disappointing second half in Sante Fe and iron a few things out. At the same time try to take a few steps forward.
The players have worked hard this week. You can never guarantee anything but we know we have to stay connected well, we have to go after the All Blacks because we can’t wait for them, but at the same time we have to do it in an efficient way because we know how well they play. Schmidt, a Kiwi, and around the All Blacks set-up before he moved to Australia, was asked about he will motivate his adopted nation against his homeland.
I’m more of the rugby guide, a couple of our coaches spark emotion well. I leave them to do that and I help us get organised and grow our skill set so we can cope against one of the best teams in the world. The build-up to this Test has been dominated by James Slipper, who will become the most-capped Australian in rugby history this afternoon.
In a generation of decline for Australian rugby, Slipper has stood tall. Unlike halfback Gregan, his domain is the scrum, the most brutally confrontational area of the game. Today, Slipper’s face bears the scars of three decades i.