How star Wallaby expects All Blacks to rebound from losses to Springboks

The All Blacks have lost three of their last four Tests – a scenario that history shows is both baffling and unlikely. New Zealand fell to Argentina in a shock defeat at Wellington’s Sky Stadium last month, and they’re later beaten in two Tests away to South Africa.

That 25 per cent winning record in The Rugby Championship sees the All Blacks occupy third-spot out of four with two rounds to play. Their next opponents, the Wallabies, are the only side below them with a one-from-four record as well.

But beware the New Zealanders when they’re down. On Stan Sport last week, former Wallaby Stephen Hoiles explained the All Blacks’ last two defeats have him a “bit scared’ ahead of this weekend’s Bledisloe Cup Test at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.

“They’ll take their anger out on us,” is how Hoiles described the reasons for that emotion, and former Test halfback Nick Phipps shared a similar point of view. The All Blacks will be desperate to bounce back and they’ll get their chance against their arch-rivals.

“I think anytime you lose, in particular, you go back-to-back as we faced a couple of weeks ago, you certainly have your tail up and you’re keen to rip in, obviously after a week off too,” Wallabies fullback Tom Wright told reporters on Monday afternoon.

“The brand of footy that they’re playing, they were a whisker away in both games that they lost and I mean that genuinely. There was a part of that game that goes either way, then the winning team obviously ran away with it.

“For them, I think the Bledisloe Cup is just as exciting. I know that rivalry goes deep, us and New Zealand, it always will.

“We’re expecting them to be up for it for sure.”

But it’s a similar story for the Aussies.

When the All Blacks were touring South Africa, the Wallabies made their way to Argentina for two Rugby Championship Tests of their own. The Aussies looked very good for about one-and-a-half matches, but Test rugby can be brutal as the visitors once again learned.

The Wallabies led 20-3 at one stage just under 10 days ago in Santa Fe but ended up losing 67-27. It was the first time they’ve conceded 50 points in a single half of international rugby, and it’s also the most points the Wallabies have ever conceded in a Test.

“No one hurts more than the playing group and the staff. We win together, we lose together sort of mentality,” Wright reflected.

“For us leading into this week, we know that the 40 minutes that you alluded to there, that was really disappointing last week. It’s something that we’re focused on making amends.

“Test footy is about that, it’s small margins.

“Being up at half-time and then one or two moments and things happen. We’ve got the same opportunity this week to make those wrongs turn into rights for us which is exciting.”

The Wallabies have announced their squad for the two upcoming Tests against the All Blacks. Queensland Reds duo Hunter Paisami and Fraser McReight are both back in the mix after recovering from injuries.

As for the All Blacks, they’ll be without prop Fletcher Newell for the first Test. Newell suffered a calf injury during the second Test in South Africa. Ethan de Groot and George Bower have been called into the squad.