Skipper Michael Hooper is braced for trans-Tasman fireworks as the underdog Wallabies stand between the All Blacks and rugby immortality on Saturday night.
New Zealand are on the cusp of greatness as they eye a world-record 18th straight victory and Hooper has predicted a torrid test of character, strength and smarts in the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship opener at ANZ Stadium.
The Wallabies haven’t beaten their arch-rivals in the past three years and have won only two of their past 20 meetings.
But there’s renewed belief with seven consecutive wins of their own under second-year national coach Ewen McKenzie.
After an intense build-up spiced by barbs from niggly All Blacks coach Steve Hansen and Kurtley Beale’s bolt-from-the-blue selection as Wallabies five-eighth, the stage is set for one of the most-anticipated match-ups in memory.
Australian optimism is high after the NSW Waratahs’ historic Super Rugby victory over the New Zealand super powers the Crusaders at the same ANZ Stadium venue two weeks ago.
The Wallabies, though, know the cold, hard reality remains that they must end the all-conquering All Blacks’ streak to avoid a near impossible task of winning at New Zealand’s spiritual Eden Park home next week to prevent a 12th consecutive series defeat.
“This one tomorrow night, there’s going to be a lot of heat there,” Hooper said on Friday.
“The first one of the year against the All Blacks, we really want to win and try to impose ourselves on these guys.”
Hooper readily acknowledges that will be easier said than done.
Apart from striving to match the record of 18 straight wins by New Zealand from 1965 to 1969 and South Africa’s 1997-98 outfit, the All Blacks have endured defeat just once in 39 Tests stretching back to their triumphant 2011 World Cup campaign.
“They’re a superb team,” Hooper said.
“I’ve never beaten them. Drew with them once and it’s a little taste, but you want to be able to go through your career knowing you can take on these guys.”
Embracing the challenge with a quiet confidence, the Wallabies accept toppling arguably the most dominant team in rugby history will require incredible mental and physical resolve.
“The Kiwis are going to throw some great stuff at us, we know, and we’ve got to be able to absorb that,” Hooper said.
“You’ve got to shut down the arsenal they have … they’re always quite clever when it comes to throwing new plays at you.
“So you’ve got to be able to absorb that in defence and turn it over and then you get guys like Kurtley, Izzy (Folau) pop up and start to rear their heads in attack.”
The All Blacks suffered a blow on Friday, with veteran centre Conrad Smith returning to New Zealand to be with his expectant wife.
All but resigned to being without their 77-Test stalwart, coach Hansen and All Blacks captain Richie McCaw are backing two-cap rookie Malakai Fekitoa to slot in.
McCaw on Friday admitted his side had discussed the world record, but insisted the milestone was secondary to drawing first blood in this year’s three-Test trans-Tasman series.
“These opportunities don’t come around very often at all, if ever,” the flanker said.
“But you look at the Bledisloe on the line as well. We just want to go out and perform well and, if we do that, we give ourselves a chance of winning and getting one hand back on the Bledisloe.
“Those by-products would be nice but we’ve got to get the job done first.”
