Ben Smith on the attack. Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship test match, Dunedin. Photo / Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
The 2015 All Blacks went to Sydney full of confidence that they'd gain an early advantage over their trans-Tasman rivals in a World Cup year, but they were sadly mistaken as the Wallabies confounded the odds and won 27-19.
The All Blacks, of course, exacted the greatest revenge later in
the year by beating Australia in the World Cup final at Twickenham.
However, that match three years ago serves to show that the All Blacks can be vulnerable early in the season, as they showed just 12 months earlier when the two sides battled out a tedious 12-all draw.
The good news is that the All Blacks have lost just once in their last eight trips to ANZ Stadium but a slightly more sobering statistic tells us that they hold a narrow 9-7 head-to-head advantage at the venue.
The fact that the last meeting between the two saw the Wallabies win the dead rubber last year in Brisbane should be motivation enough for Steve Hansen's men but the Wallabies showed in their narrow series loss to Ireland in June, that they've come a long way from 12 months ago when the Sydney test was done and dusted by halftime.
Michael Chieka has had his squad together now for several weeks and such is the depth that these days it's more of a question as to who he leaves out as opposed to who plays. The return of the world-class David Pocock from holiday will pose extra problems for the All Blacks at the breakdown as he hunts in unison with Michael Hooper.
