Aaron Smith talks with referee Paul Williams. Photo / Photosport
Aaron Smith talks with referee Paul Williams. Photo / Photosport
Christopher Reive highlights three things to keep an eye on when the All Blacks and Wallabies meet for the second Bledisloe Cup test at Eden Park on Saturday.
All Blacks' penalty count
Aaron Smith talks with referee Paul Williams. Photo / Photosport
This has been an area of some concern through four tests this year.
The All Blacks have beenon the right side of the penalty count just once – committing 11 penalties to 14 in their second test against Fiji. Even in their 102-0 demolition of Tonga earlier in the year, the All Blacks were heavily penalised – on that occasion they gave away 13 penalties to just four from Tonga.
In 2021, the All Blacks are committing 14 penalties per game. In their last 10 tests – going back to the start of 2020 – they have given away fewer than 10 penalties only four times (nine twice and seven twice). That might not be as much of an issue when the scoreboard looks lopsided, but it's an area to watch as those penalties can – and probably will – prove costly in closer contests.
Marika Koroibete
Wallabies weapon Marika Koroibete will return this weekend. Photo / Photosport
After being stood down for drinking when he shouldn't have been drinking prior to an off-day in Wallabies camp, the Wallabies star winger could only watch as his side suffered a 33-25 loss to the All Blacks at Eden Park last weekend.
A superstar, Koroibete could have had a made a noticeable difference as the Wallabies looked to end a well-documented losing streak at the Auckland ground.
They get another chance this week, and their star returns. The impact he can have was made clear during the Wallabies' series against France earlier in the year, as he proved to be quite the handful for the French defence.
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has noted just how much energy Koroibete has brought into training this week and that could translate into a big night for the Wallabies flier should he find himself with room to move.
Brodie Retallick (L) and Darcy Swain compete at the lineout. Photo / Photosport
The battle at the scrum was a great one last weekend and, with the same front rows named, you should expect that to be the case again.
It's not just a matter of the starting front rows though, with tactics at play around when to introduce players off the bench to try and make the most of tiring opposition.
All Blacks loosehead prop Karl Tu'inukuafe has become a weapon off the bench for the side in that area, and is often brought into the game when the All Blacks are needing to reassert a sense of dominance at the scrum.
The lineout will also be worth keeping an eye on, particularly after comments made by Rennie earlier in the week.
The Wallabies had some struggles in that area early on last weekend and when asked about it during a media session on Thursday, Rennie said his team would be demanding a bit more space at the lineout.
"They penalised the first one, then forgot about it," Rennie said of the officiating of the space at the lineout. "They were pretty clear pictures which [referee] Paul Williams agreed with, so I'm assuming it will be policed better this week."
