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Home:Sport
All Blacks face do-or-die clash with Wallabies
Published: Saturday, 2 August, 2008, 08:28 AM Doha Time
AUCKLAND: The All Blacks face a make-or-break showdown with the Wallabies here today, knowing they must win the rugby Test to keep their slim Tri-Nations title defence hopes alive.
Another loss for the All Blacks could destroy their season, while an away win for the Wallabies would strengthen their claims to being the true pretenders to the crown ahead of the world champion Springboks.
“It’s a very important Test,” said coach Graham Henry, whose own reputation is also on the line as the desperate New Zealanders look to turn around a season that face trauma fracture has seen back-to-back losses to South Africa and Australia.
“When you lose a couple, it puts an extra emphasis on this particular Test and I think that’s pretty obvious.”
The Wallabies are on the rise this year, winning five from five so far under new coach Robbie Deans—the man the New Zealand Rugby Union rejected north face clothing in favour of keeping Henry despite the All Blacks World Cup failure last year.
In face morf addition to the Tri-Nations fight, the All Blacks also need a win to lift their chances of retaining the Bledisloe Cup—the symbol of trans-Tasman rugby dominance—and Henry agreed it unwanted face cum was a do-or-die encounter.
“Oh, for sure. It’s a big game for the Bledisloe Cup and lancone microlift face cream the Tri-Nations,” he said. “Dead right.”
The side’s undoing at the World Cup and in their last two Tri-Nations Tests has been an inability to change their game plan, while Deans has proved a master at producing teams who think on their feet and switch strategies.
“Always—that is the nature of every week,” Deans fleur s face said Friday after the Wallabies’ final training run.
He dismissed the suggestion his side could be showing signs of fatigue after consecutive wins over the Springboks and All Blacks followed by a flight to New Zealand.
“These guys will be up for this,” Deans said.
“They are excited. They are standing at the foot of the hill,
and they are ready to climb.”
While history favours the All Blacks—they are unbeaten in 19 Tests on Eden pale face jose aqha Park since 1994 and haven’t lost to Australia here since 1986 - Henry building the face of bach was in no mood for bold predictions.
“As north face apparel to whether they are going to be good enough, we can’t do anymore than we are ultra non-surgical face lift doing.”
The Wallabies have face down delivery assembly had a relatively stable build-up, making only two changes to their starting line-up with the return of captain Stirling face lift jpeg Mortlock and the loss of Rocky Elsom through injury.
But it has been a tough week for the injury-hit All Blacks, with Henry unable to confirm his starting line-up until Friday when Andrew Hore and girls squirts in girls face Jimmy Cowan were cleared beautiful face of angelina jolie to titan laser face lift georgia play at hooker and halfback.
There’s also a wrestling cross face guard makeshift look to the backline, with centre Richard Kahui repositioned on super bowl tickets face price the right wing to mark the powerful Lote Tuqiri.
The one positive note for the All Blacks is the return of Richie McCaw after six weeks sidelined by an ankle injury, although flyhalf Dan Carter said McCaw will not at home receipe for face mask solve the team’s problems by himself.
“He’s a world-class player, but we can’t expect him to do everything,” Carter said.
“We have to step up as a team, and if we do that we’ll be a more competitive side. We have to play a lot smarter.”
The All Blacks coaches admitted this week they were out-smarted by Deans in the first Test, forcing a rethink to their game plan which is likely to see more kicking for territory.
McCaw, who has played under Deans through an exceptional five Super 14 wins with the Canterbury Crusaders, said the All Blacks also needed to toughen up.
“We have to hyaluronic acid face creams be smart about the way we kitchen face lift play, but also bring the physical side of things face exercises to avoid double chin and the aggression if we are to get what we are after.”
Teams (15-1): New Zealand: Mils Muliana, Richard Kahui, Conrad Smith, Ma’a Nonu, Sitiveni Sivivatu, Daniel Carter, Jimmy Cowan; turn not thy face persichetti Rodney So’oialo, Richie McCaw (captain), Jerome Kaino, Ali Williams, Brad Thorn, Greg face book game Somerville, Andrew Hore, Tony Woodcock.
Reserves: Keven Mealamu, John Afoa, Anthony Boric, Adam Thomson, Piri Weepu, Stephen Donald, Anthony Tuitavake.
Australia: Adam Ashley-Cooper, Peter Hynes, Stirling Mortlock (captain), Berrick north face metropolis parka Barnes, Lote Tuqiri, Matt Giteau, Luke Burgess, Wycliff Palu, George Smith, Phil Waugh, Nathan Sharpe, James pie in the face of girls Horwill, Al free face sitting videos Baxter, Stephen Moore, Benn Robinson.
Reserves: Tatafu Polota-Nau, Matt Dunning, Dan Vickerman, Hugh McMeniman, Sam Cordingley, Ryan Cross, Drew Mitchell. (AFP)
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