All Blacks try mind games on McKenzie

[The InnFORCEr]

Daniel Gilhooly,
AAP
Updated August 15, 2013, 7:56 am

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has welcomed Wallabies counterpart Ewen McKenzie to Test rugby with some mind games designed to pop a balloon of Australian expectancy.

Hansen on Thursday sought to pressure McKenzie over the issue of whether he would restore his controversial Queensland Reds playmaker Quade Cooper to the key five eighth role for Saturday's Bledisloe Cup Test in Sydney.

He revealed his spies indicated that McKenzie would go with Matt Toomua as starting five eighth instead, and he believed Toomua would line inside Brumbies teammates Christian Lealiifano and newcomer Tevita Kuridrani, employing a Brumbies-style rush defence to put pressure on the All Blacks' backs.

Hansen said rather than rattle the All Blacks, McKenzie's strategy to carefully conceal his selection intentions until a late Thursday team announcement was the action of a man under pressure after riding a wave of positive publicity last month when replacing fromer Wallabies coach Robbie Deans.

"Australia haven't had a great run against us for a wee while now," Hansen said.

"That's all been attributed to Robbie Deans, which I think is a wee bit unfair. Everyone seems to think that Ewen's going to make the difference so there's got to be pressure on him.

"What happens if it doesn't work?"

Cooper, who was overlooked by Deans over the past 12 months, provided a headache for his former Reds mentor McKenzie, Hansen believed.

Picking mercurial playmaker Cooper was a risk which Hansen believed McKenzie had shied away from as kickoff neared.

"Is he feeling a bit mentally challenged because he doesn't know which five-eighth he wants to play?

"I'd imagine when Robbie Deans wasn't picking Quade Cooper, McKenzie was probably saying `I'll pick you Quade, I'll pick you'.

"Our information is telling us that he's going to pick the other bloke (Toomua).

"It doesn't bother me a hoot who they play."

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/spo...s-on-mckenzie/

[Happy]

I think Hansen has forgotten any team that goes up against the AB's is going up against the best team in the world BY A LONG MARGIN. Essentially we and anyone else have to work extra hard to beat them, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

The AB's however, should the result not go their way, will go home to a country in mourning

[The InnFORCEr]

Wallabies $2.60

All Blacks $1.50

[Alison]

And the domestic violence rate in NZ will go up like it always does when the ABs lose big games

[PeterM]

Got a sneaky feeling that the Wallabies will get over the line on Saturday night.

The boys who took the field the last time out in the Gold jumper owe the rugby supporters of this country an apology and the best way to earn redemption is to get a win over the AB's Saturday night

[The InnFORCEr]

All Blacks half time, Wallabies full time is paying over $7.

[jargan83]

All Blacks half time, Wallabies full time is paying over $7.

I like those odds

[UNCLE BOOG]

All Blacks half time, Wallabies full time is paying over $7.

whos fave for first try?

[jargan83]

whos fave for first try?

I checked sportbet and no FTS market is up probably because official teams haven't been announced

[hertryk]

And the domestic violence rate in NZ will go up like it always does when the ABs lose big games

Tell me about it... the streets of Auckland were NOT a safe place to be after the RWC final and they WON!!! ......

[jargan83]

whos fave for first try?

Israel Folau @ $10
Julian Savea @ $11

[PerthGirl]

Tell me about it... the streets of Auckland were NOT a safe place to be after the RWC final and they WON!!! ......

That's a shame Jo. We were in Wellington in 2000 when the Wallabies won in extra time. We went out on the town and everyone was gracious and welcoming. It must be an Auckland thing

[westies man]

Every kiwi not an Aucklander hates Aucklanders

[hertryk]

From Bam Bam's book his parents had problems in Wellington..

[UNCLE BOOG]

my mates had problems at the last WC in NZ. not sure which end of the long white cloud they were under, but they had local people coming up to them apologising and helping them 'fend off' over-the-top abusive All Black supporters.