Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie has hit back at All Blacks counterpart Steve Hansen, saying he’ll be the Kiwi responsible for bringing down the New Zealand dollar when Australia topple the world champions on Saturday night.
Just as the All Blacks were taking off from New Zealand bound for Sydney on Thursday, McKenzie named uncapped Matt Toomua as five-eighth ahead of Quade Cooper for the eagerly awaited Rugby Championship opener.
Earlier, Hansen predicted the selection, saying it was no surprise and that McKenzie’s strategy to carefully conceal his team for so long smacked of a man under pressure after riding a wave of positive publicity last month when replacing former coach Robbie Deans.
“Australia haven’t had a great run against us for a wee while now,” Hansen said.
“That’s all been attributed to Robbie Deans, which I think is a wee bit unfair. Everyone seems to think that Ewen’s going to make the difference so there’s got to be pressure on him.
“What happens if it doesn’t work?”
McKenzie, though, insisted he was feeling “no pressure” and claimed the heat was actually on Hansen to ensure New Zealand retained the Bledisloe Cup for an 11th straight year.
“When you coach the All Blacks, there’s a lot of pressure in that job,” McKenzie told AAP.
“When the All Blacks lose, as rare as it is, it’s attached to the national economy. The dollar might go up and down over there.
“It’s fairly significant, so there’s a lot of pressure there.”
McKenzie readily admitted he held back naming his team to keep Hansen and the All Blacks guessing.
“I was in no hurry to tell them what the team was,” he said.
“In the end, he had a guess and didn’t get it right so there you go.
“He was talking about a Brumbies midfield. He had his spies, according to him, so his spies weren’t telling him the right thing.”
Toomua was one of 10 Brumbies to make the match-day 22, including six in the starting line-up, with McKenzie rewarding the Super Rugby finalists for their form.
Cooper, a long-time pet of McKenzie’s at the Queensland Reds, had been widely expected to make his international return in the Wallabies No.10 jersey but was instead named on the bench.
McKenzie said Toomua had proven himself to be the “man for all occasions” and ultimately suited the Wallabies’ game plan to tackle the All Blacks at ANZ Stadium.
Tooma, 23, replaces James O’Connor as the Wallabies’ No.10, with fellow Brumbies debutants in prop Scott Sio, lock Scott Fardy, halfback Nic White and centre Tevita Kuridrani all picked on the bench.
All up, McKenzie made eight changes to the starting team which lost the series-deciding third Test 41-16 to the British and Irish Lions in Sydney last month.
Ben Mowen was shifted to No.8 for the injured Wycliff Palu and O’Connor to the wing for the axed Joe Tomane, while prop James Slipper, lock Rob Simmons, flankers Hugh McMeniman and Michael Hooper, fullback Jesse Mogg and Toomua were all promoted.
McMeniman, replacing Kane Douglas, will play his first Test since 2008, Hooper steps in for the retired great George Smith, Mogg replaces the injured Kurtley Beale and Slipper has taken Benn Robinson’s spot in the front row.
Wallabies: Jesse Mogg, Israel Folau, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Christian Lealiifano, James O’Connor, Matt Toomua, Will Genia; Ben Mowen, Michael Hooper, Hugh McMeniman, James Horwill, Rob Simmons, Ben Alexander, Stephen Moore, James Slipper. Res: Saia Fainga’a, Scott Sio, Sekope Kepu, Scott Fardy, Liam Gill, Nic White, Quade Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani.