Wallabies batten down the hatches for All Blacks Test amid external criticism

Tue, Sep 17, 2024, 2:35 PM
Darren Walton - AAP

The Wallabies have bunkered down, intent on escaping the external pressure of trying to break one of the most infamous droughts in Australian sport.

The Wallabies host the All Blacks in Sydney on Saturday desperate to end New Zealand's 22-year stranglehold on the Bledisloe Cup.

Australia must win the first of two trans-Tasman Tests to keep the series alive heading to Wellington next week but are backing up from a record-setting 67-27 Rugby Championship loss to Argentina in Santa Fe.

The fallout from the Wallabies' extraordinary capitulation from a 17-point first-half lead has been savage.

Former England Test stars Andy Goode and Ben Youngs want the British and Irish Lions to tour South Africa instead of Australia next year to ensure a competitive series.

The Wallabies, though, aren't listening, instead battening down the hatches to avoid hearing the flak flying about ahead of a must-win showdown with last year's World Cup finalists at Accor Stadium.

"Everyone's going to have their opinion and there's always going to be that external noise," Wallabies prop and former captain Allan Alaalatoa said on Tuesday.

"For us as leaders and as a group, we've got to focus internally on what's important to us.

"We understand that those distractions are going to be there. People are going to say what they think of us.

"But, again, what's important for us is what we believe ourselves and executing our plan throughout the week to then go out there and then perform and then change the external noise that's happening."

Alaalatoa conceded there'd been some serious soul searching on the flight back from Argentina, as well as some stern words from coach Joe Schmidt upon their return.

He said Tuesday's training session was also as torrid a session as he could remember to start a week's build-up.

But the tough love was all necessary if the Wallabies are to compete with the All Blacks, who will also be stewing after suffering rare successive defeats in South Africa to the world champion Springboks.

"The boys know that the All Blacks are a tough outfit, as we all know," he said.

"But a lot of our players here have played a lot of the individuals in Super Rugby, which I think is good for us.

"Our focus is on ourselves. We understand the threats that they're going to bring, but we want to pour all our attention into us delivering our system over and over again as much as we can because as delivering that for 40 isn't good enough.

"You've got to be doing that for 80."

Hunter Paisami racing the clock to be fit for Bledisloe Cup as centre gives injury update

Tue, Sep 17, 2024, 1:35 PM
Nathan Williamson

Wallabies centre Hunter Paisami is pushing to be fit for the opening Bledisloe Cup match against the All Blacks on September 21.

Paisami missed the trip to Argentina after suffering a knee injury during the defeat to the Springboks in Perth.

Initial speculation suggested Paisami would miss the rest of the Rugby Championship, however, the Reds midfielder was included as he pushes his case to be ready for Saturday's Test at Accor Stadium.

"It's been good. I've been back in yesterday, did some running so it's more taking it day by day," he told reporters.

"I'm still going through some return of play policy at the moment. I'm still up in the air. Just got to get my fitness right and also get the knee strong."

Paisami's reaction during the game was instant, having done a similar injury during the Super Rugby season in 2023.

It saw Max Jorgensen injected in for his Test debut as Andrew Kellaway shifted to centre, with Hamish Stewart the man tasked with filling his spot for the Tests to Argentina.

"The boys played well, especially that first game," Paisami remarked.

"It was awesome to see the boys find a way to win through that last moment of the game, which was special."

The Wallabies are hungry to bounce back after their second-half collapse in Argentina.

"It's been great learnings for us," prop Allan Alaalatoa said.

"We've seen pictures of us throughout both games when we're delivering on the things that we want to deliver on our game plan and the results and territory that we get off the back of that It's just painting and seeing those pictures and then when we go away from our system, seeing those pictures of when it hurts us and really trying to get an understanding of what it's like.

"Those have been the tough learnings for us over the last 48 hours but it's been a really good two days of prep so far for us."