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Plenty of factors motivating All Blacks - but world ranking isn't one of them
By Online Editors
There are numbers driving the All Blacks ahead of their Bledisloe Cup clash with the Wallabies but motivation to stay No.1 in the world isn't one of them.
The world champions have held the world's top ranking for almost a decade but will controversially hand over the mantle to Wales should Australia cause an upset in their Bledisloe Cup match in Perth on Saturday night.
It would be a somewhat absurd outcome, given that Wales haven't beaten New Zealand in their past 30 matches.
But All Blacks skipper Kieran Read downplayed the possible dip on Friday, saying it hadn't been a talking point for the team.
"It’s not even part of our equation to be honest,” Read said.
"We turn up here to win the game and we will try and do that again tomorrow. We know it won’t be easy. It never is over here."
The New Zealanders have more numbers on their mind with a new six-seven-eight combination after opting to play openside flankers in Sam Cane and Ardie Savea in the backrow alongside Read.
The captain said the new mix was finding its rhythm.
"It’s gelled really well," he said.
"They’ve been in the mix in the loose forwards for these last four years so it’s not much of a difference, but it’s pretty exciting for us to all be on the field.
"I think obviously Ardie’s strength is at the breakdown and so is Sam’s so I think every individual brings their own personal strength but the way we’re going to play the game isn’t going to change no matter who’s on the field.
"We’ve got what works well for us and that’s hopefully we can do tomorrow night."
The other number on the mind of the players is 637 - the All Blacks number of the legendary Sir Brian Lochore who died last week.
"It’s special - he was not just a special All Black but he is a special New Zealander,” Read said.
"He meant to a lot of people and for us a team it is a way to pay respects to him and his and the contribution he made to New Zealand."
The All Blacks have held the Bledisloe Cup since 2003 but Read said every clash with the Wallabies presented a new battle.
He said the Australians would be fired up to end the drought.
"I think they've had the fire in the belly for the last few years, definitely and we know they'll certainly have that again tomorrow night,” Read said.
"We can't just rest on what we've done over those years, it's important we reset and make sure we go and play as well as we can."
- AAP
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Latest Comments
Im guessing you never lived in NZ under r dern and red commie labour
We were forced and in some cases mandated to take the V - I know of 7 people who D taking it and many with untold injuries - Minimium 12 K D in NZ taking it - it was never safe never effective never worked just Maimed and K'd qe were close to being thrown into quarantine camps C was only a rebranded Flu
Oz Govt MOH have completed their c commission - they admit they never had the proveable data to make justify their statements and decisions & that the public will never accept it ever happening again - they fired rubber B into peaceful protestors Ardern is hated here ( 1 M patriots forced her out ) - bloomfield her side kick 2IC dr D excempted 11k from taking it - we (not u) know who they were the Pol and Public servants who knew they were fatal - A zeneca pulled it off the market due 2 excess D's - Japan banned them - called them stupid poison -
P M Shinzo Abe opposed the v and sent over a million doses back - because of that he was murdered - So were the heads of several African nations who also opposed the fake v they were k'd and their replacements allowed their countries to be swamped with them - C was V wasnt bought in fo C - C was bought in for the V
Im not here to talk politics but if u want to I can all day especially to a RED neck commie like you - whats it going to be Rugby or Politics or mud slinging give me something to think about - surprise me with something meaty - just not word salad
Go to commentsIt doesn’t matter how good your rugby team is, at the highest level you are going to have momentum swings in games.
Wales having a good ten minute period next week- and they will- doesn’t mean the Boks will be playing poorly.
It’s if you can make the most of it when you have the momentum. And the current group of springboks do enough when they create enough, as great teams do.
For comparison, the All Blacks played their best game of the year against France.
Still lost. And it’s only France’s second game so they aren’t firing at 100% yet.
The ABs haven’t got to that ruthless stage that the springboks are at yet.
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