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The Wallabies star set to be targeted by All Blacks in second Bledisloe Cup test
By AAP
Nic White is expecting to be targeted by the All Blacks as they look to shut the enterprising Wallabies halfback down in Sunday's second Bledisloe Cup Test.
White was a stand-out for the for the Wallabies in their 16-16 draw last weekend, repeatedly troubling New Zealand's defence with his sniping runs from the ruck.
His clever box kicking in the swirling Wellington wind also tested the home side.
But the 30-year-old doesn't expect to be given an inch to move at in Auckland's Eden Park, where the Australians will attempt to snap a losing streak that dates back to 1986.
"I imagine they are probably going to chock up that area around the breakdown and limit the nine running so it's something we've got to expect," White said on Tuesday.
"We got a little bit of pay out of that on the weekend so I'm not sure that will be there come Auckland but I will take each breakdown on its merits and it certainly won't me surprise if they're going to shoot out of the line and try to take me out of the game."
White, who has played 32 Tests, said he expected the All Blacks to tinker with their game plan, while their line-up is also set to change with the return of injured superstar Beauden Barrett.
The Australians may start with Jordan Petaia in the centres after his recovery from a hip injury, while Jordan Uelese could get the nod as starting hooker after impressing off the bench.
Veteran Dane Haylett-Petty has recovered from a groin strain to challenge Tom Banks for the starting spot at fullback.
White felt there was plenty of upside to the Wallabies, who were disappointed they didn't crack a rare win on Kiwi soil.
"Disappointment was the initial reaction after the game because we had opportunities there to finish it and it would have been nice," White said.
"There's a fair bit there for us all to clean up going into this game.
"There's a lot of areas that we can improve on but there's also a fair bit of belief in us now that what we're doing is the right stuff."
Last year the Wallabies won a belter in Perth 47-26 but the following week the fired up All Blacks delivered a 36-0 humiliation, at Eden Park.
White hoped the debutants and new coaching staff could help cancel out the All Blacks' reaction and put the Wallabies in the box seat to reclaim the Bledisloe Cup with two games to play in Australia.
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Latest Comments
There is this thing going around against Siya Kolisi where they don't want him to be known as the best national captain ever, so they strike him down in ratings permanently whenever they can. They want McCaw and reckons he is the best captain ever. I disagree.
Just like they refuse to see SA as the best team and some have even said that should the Boks win a third WC in a row, they will still not be the best team ever. Even if they win every game between now and the WC. That is some serious hate coming SA's way.
Everyone forget how the McCaw AB's intimidated refs, was always on the wrong side, played on the ground etc. Things they would never have gotten away with today. They may have a better win ratio, but SA build depth, not caring about rank inbetween WC's until this year.
They weren't as bad inbetween as people claim, because non e of their losses was big ones and they almost never faced the strongest Bok team outside of the WC, allowing countries like France and Ireland to rise to the top unopposed.
Rassie is still at it, building more depth, getting more young stars into the fold. By the time he leaves (I hope never) he will leave a very strong Bok side for the next 15- 20 years. Not everyone will play for 20 years, but each year Rassie acknowledge the young stars and get them involved and ready for international rugby.
Not everyone will make it to the WC, but those 51/52 players will compete for those spots for the WC. They will deliver their best. The future of the Boks is in very safe hands. The only thing that bothers me is Rassie's health. If he can overcome it, rugby looks dark for the rest of the rugby world. He is already the greatest coach in WR history. By the time he retires, he will be the biggest legend any sport has ever seen
Go to commentsWas it? I just brought it up in some of my posts to rub it in that the AB last year nearly put 100 on a top 6N side lol
I agree to be honest. The biggest key to me that they might be jadded was none of them had mom performances, or even as good as their last three games.
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