Rugby: All Blacks to take Wallabies test to Japan

The All Blacks and Wallabies will play in Japan next year. Photosport

The New Zealand public will get one less chance to attend the Bledisloe Cup series next year but the All Blacks are embracing the chance to take on the Wallabies in Japan.

Fox Sports has reported the All Blacks will take next year's third Bledisloe fixture to Japan in late October. The match would otherwise have been held in New Zealand, as Australia hosted two Bledisloe tests this year.

Eden Park will host New Zealand's other Bledisloe test on August 25.

The All Blacks and Wallabies have a history of taking revenue-generating tests to Asia but the three times it happened previous, they played each other four times in those seasons.

The appeal of playing in Japan is two-fold. Both unions are sure to receive a healthy payment, and it also gives the All Blacks the chance to spend two weeks soaking up experiences in the host nation of the 2019 World Cup.

As well as a means to continually boost coffers, the yet-to-be-confirmed move is clearly a strategic one. The week following this third Bledisloe, the All Blacks are scheduled to face Japan on November 3 en route to Europe for their traditional northern tour.

Spending time in Japan to gauge conditions and venues is a desire of all leading rugby nations.

The All Blacks have won two of the three Bledisloe tests previously taken abroad. They prevailed 19-14 in Hong Kong in 2008, and 32-19 in Tokyo one year later. But in the last match in Hong Kong in 2010, the Wallabies triumphed 26-24 thanks to a late James O'Connor try and sideline conversion.

All Blacks halfback Aaron Smith featured off the bench in the 54-6 victory over Japan in 2013 and welcomed the chance to return.

"I've played in Tokyo once and it was great. It's always a good week; good food I love Japanese. That would be brilliant," Smith said. "Last time we played there it was a brilliant stadium; warm, fast field and that's all you can ask for.

"Taking the Bledisloe offshore is something I used to see the All Blacks do quite a bit before I was in the All Blacks. It always looked like the occasion and the event was awesome. I'm sure the coaches will be doing all that kind of planning behind the scenes."

Smith also produced a deft sidestep when asked about the 20-page dossier England coach Eddie Jones says he has complied on lessons his players took away from the British and Irish Lions series.

Jones claims the information will help England beat the All Blacks when they faceoff at Twickenham next year.

"That's brilliant. Good on Eddie Jones he sounds like a brilliant coach. I've just read George Gregan's book and he sounds pretty meticulous just like our coaches. He's just trying to get a reaction I'd say. If we're around when that happens we'll see if his dossier works."