Auckland: The All Blacks and Wallabies sought pre-match talks with referee Romain Poite on Friday as they try to avoid giving away penalties in their highly anticipated return Rugby Championship Test.
With both sides smarting from last week’s 12-12 draw in Sydney, New Zealand’s Steve Hansen and Australia’s Ewen McKenzie were keen to minimise any uncertainty in Auckland.
All Blacks coach Hansen has already claimed an apology from last week’s whistle-blower, South African Jaco Peyper, for a series of refereeing blunders including one yellow card.
“I’ve seen Steve’s interpretation of what the referee said so if there’s talk about free kicks at scrum time there were only three free kicks against the All Blacks but there were still 14 penalties [against them in the game],” McKenzie said.
“It depends on which bit you want to look at. So we’ll talk about the scrums.”
McKenzie arguably has more to fear from Poite, who is seen to favour the dominant pack and was severe on the Wallabies in last year’s deciding British and Irish Lions Test.
The All Blacks, who fell one short of a record 18th Test win last week, have played five internationals with the Frenchman in charge and never lost.
The Australian coach said he would be talking to Poite and last week’s referee Peyper, who is also in Auckland for the Saturday’s Test.
He said the Wallabies were also unhappy with some of Peyper’s decisions in a rain-soaked Sydney, but added “teams have to look at themselves over time rather than look at one game”.
‘It felt like a loss’
And he warned that Australia would not be cowed by their record at Eden Park, the All Blacks’ spiritual home, where they have not won a game since 1986.
“They were going for a world record last week and didn’t get there,” McKenzie said.
“We know what they’re capable of. They’re a very consistent side and have been the most consistent team for 100 years, we know that. It doesn’t mean they win every game.”
Hansen said he would also try to clarify points of the law with Poite as the All Blacks seek to re-establish supremacy and lock up the trans-Tasman Bledisloe Cup for the 13th year in a row.
Captain Richie McCaw said the home side were hoping to step up a gear after last week’s game, which they were lucky to escape with a draw.
“It felt like a loss after the game,” McCaw said. “We want to make sure we come out and do better this week.”
The Wallabies will field an unchanged side while the All Blacks have changed three for a Test which is forecast to be played in dry weather and hard ground.
Injured centre Ma’a Nonu has been replaced by the less aggressive Ryan Crotty, in his first Test start, partnering Conrad Smith who was absent last week attending the birth of his son.
Liam Messam comes in for the injured Jerome Kaino in the forwards.
Although the Australians have not won at Eden Park since before most of the current players were born, captain Michael Hooper said not having experienced the fortress was a good thing.
“We’re thinking about the improvements we can make on the field rather than the whole picture going around it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Argentina and South Africa have been cheered by the weather forecast as they prepare for a Rugby Championship second-round match in provincial city Salta Saturday.
It is expected to be clear and warm at the 20,000-seat Estadio Padre Ernesto Martearena in the north-western city when the Pumas and the Springboks clash for the second time within eight days.
South Africa were 13-6 winners last weekend in a southern hemisphere tournament opener ruined by unseasonal monsoon-like conditions at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria.
Persistent torrential rain turned the ball into a bar of soap and swiftly put paid to dreams of the convincing, four-try bonus-point win every Springbok follower had anticipated.
And an impressive display by the Argentine pack has given the South Americans hope that they can finally end a 13-match winless run since the Championship launch two years ago.
History also offers the Pumas hope as they held the Springboks 16-16 in Mendoza two seasons ago and were unlucky 22-17 losers at the same stadium a year later.
“We are going to play the game we had planned for Pretoria, but could not execute because of the dire weather,” Argentina coach Daniel Hourcade told reporters.
His team appears stronger with the return of vastly experienced inside centre Juan Martin Hernandez, a late injury withdrawal from the Pretoria Test.
The other change to the side is also in the backline with Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino replacing Horacio Agulla on the right wing.
“These are changes we anticipated making with Juan Martin returning after being kept out of the Pretoria match by a niggle,” explained Hourcade.
“We also wanted to rotate — but not too much as that could affect the team structure.”
Hourcade, who succeeded Santiago Phelan after a six-loss 2013 Championship campaign, says the three changes to the Springboks pack is a compliment to the Pumas.
“They are a clear indication of the problems we created, but the Springboks will come here to fix them.”
The demoted South African forwards are loose-head prop Tendai “The Beast” Mtawarira, veteran lock Bakkies Botha and flanker Marcell Coetzee.
Experienced Gurthro Steenkamp comes in for Mtawarira, youthful Eben Etzebeth replaces Botha, and veteran Juan Smith is recalled after a near four-year absence for Coetzee.
“Awesome,” said Smith on hearing he would don the green and gold for the first time since facing England in a late 2010 Test at Twickenham.
An Achilles tendon injury early the following year appeared to have ended his career until French club Toulon offered a short-term contract.
It set up a fairy-tale comeback as the 69-cap Springbok helped Toulon win the French Top 14 title and he scored a try in a European Cup final triumph over Saracens.
South Africa coach Heyneke Meyer is banking on Smith improving a line-out frequently disrupted by the Pumas in Pretoria.
“Our line-outs are a crucial attacking platform with many tries stemming from them and I’m sure Juan will add another dimension.
“Although happy with the result at Loftus, we were not happy with the performance and Salta offers a chance to do much better against formidable opponents.
“Argentina are a proud rugby nation who have improved greatly in recent years and we will have to be at our best to improve on previous Championship results in the country.”
Neither of the Springbok Championship saviours in Argentina will start Saturday.
Centre Francois Steyn, who scored an intercept try two season ago, is in a contract-related, self-imposed exile from the national squad.
And fly-half Morne Steyn, who kicked 17 points a year ago, is a replacement this weekend with 20-year-old Handre Pollard given a third start as playmaker.
