All Blacks coach Steve Hansen plans to hit hard and hit early in the All Blacks’ Bledisloe Cup defence pledging to name his strongest team to face the Wallabies in Perth.
Hansen repeated his mantra that the annual trans‑Tasman prize is second only to the Rugby World Cup on his priority list before the team flew out of Auckland today.
He wants better than the scratchy 20‑16 win over Argentina and the 16‑16 draw with South Africa last month, having fielded two very different teams.
Hansen says they will look to start building various combinations that they want to look at and probably put the strongest‑looking side that they can together over the next couple of weeks.
Hansen is set to field his twin playmaker set‑up of Richie Mo’unga at five‑eighth and Beauden Barrett at fullback – a tactic which earned a pass mark against the Springboks.
It may also be the test in which skipper Kieran Read is shifted from No.8 to blindside flanker, making room for the dynamic Ardie Savea.
Hansen said recalled lock Scott Barrett is recovering well from a broken finger suffered late in the Crusaders’ Super Rugby campaign and could be a straight starting replacement for the injured Brodie Retallick.
Hansen confirmed flanker Vaea Fifita would travel even though he was mourning the death this week of his younger brother.
The All Blacks will play Australia at 9.45pm next Saturday.
Source: RugbyPass.com
