There is a lot riding on the All Blacks final test at home for 2016. Not the least of which is a potential Tier 1 World Record of 18-straight test victories.
Putting all the talk of the World Record aside for a moment, just what more can the All Blacks do to impress? Arguably, the men in black have had their best season ever. The defending Rugby World Cup champions have only been really tested a few times this year.
Wales put up a good fight to begin with, back in June, and then there was the story of Argentina. That side put on an inspirational first half showing in Hamilton. The return match in Buenos Aires was another swordfight, confirming The Rugby Championship crown for Kieran Read (see main photo) A record-score obliteration of the Springboks then followed, to reinforce their superiority.
All this builds on the teams crusade through World Rugby since August of last year. The sequence of victories now see’s the 2016 vintage on the cusp of surpassing a record that has been difficult to pass. Victory over Australia at Eden Park will create history–18 test match wins, a world record (with only Cyprus holding a higher quantity of 24 Tier 2 wins)
In a league of their own
There has been a lot of controversy and interesting storylines taking place off the pitch as well. The results though, cannot be questioned, it has simply been one of the best years of All Black rugby that one can ever remember. The team are seemingly in a league of their own, and some say they are the best team in history.
Steve Hansen is the master coach, and the players themselves have perhaps been the closest unit ever–even closer than the RWC winning sides of 2011 and 2015. Since then, the amount of young talent coming through the ranks in New Zealand will scare opposition teams and make the job of beating this super power all the more difficult going forward.
At Eden Park, the All Blacks are at their most dominant, especially against the Wallabies who head into Saturday nights’ encounter just wanting to remain close on the scoreboard. The Bledisloe Cup (see picture) is secure, so the goal for Australia might be to deny the home side an 18th consecutive win. They have done it twice before, but never on New Zealand’s home soil.
2016 side destined for great things
Kieran Read appears to have slotted into the All Black captaincy with relative ease. How he led the side around the park against Argentina; when behind on the scoreboard, spoke to that. In a situation where it looked like the impossible could happen, the All Blacks came charging back in the second half at Waikato Stadium to ‘flatter themselves’ with a big margin of victory,
2016 has been ‘the year of Beauden Barrett’. He has earned his place as one of the key men in the All Blacks’ leadership group this season. Always destined for greater things, Barrett has simply been unmatched as a playmaker in the black jersey this year. The single flaw in Barrett’s game is his accuracy with goal kicks, but that can be overlooked when your team averages six tries per game.
Is Beauden Barrett the best player in world rugby at the moment. #AllBlacks #RugbyChampionship
Via – SANZAAR pic.twitter.com/8tj7lnDh3J— EatSleepRugby (@eatsleeprugby) August 23, 2016
Put this into perspective for a moment as well: Who would’ve thought that the likes of Aaron Cruden would appear to be an afterthought at times in 2016? Barrett’s stellar form is a reason for this. After an injury-ruined year last season, Cruden was one of the big talking points heading into the June internationals [a back injury squashed that sentiment] and now, it doesn’t seem terribly relevant.
Damian McKenzie has sparked more conversation than Cruden, and it is likely that his time at first five may not be too far off. If that happens, Cruden could be pushed back to third choice in this position….and that is not considering the class of Lima Sopoaga in the mix.
The same cannot be said for the Wallabies
It has been a difficult year for Australian rugby fans, and the result at Eden Park this weekend won’t matter much. The chances that the Wallabies may beat the All Blacks; especially on this ground, are slim to none. Not once have the Wallabies come close to testing their Tasman rivals this year–and they’ve already had two attempts at it.
The problem in Australian rugby is yet to be determined, but the results in 2016 speak nothing of the great rugby power this country once was. A 0-3 series loss to England in June was just the ‘tip of the iceberg’ for Wallabies fans. In both their clashes against the All Blacks in August, the Wallabies were woeful at best.
If Michael Chieka cannot at least coach his side to be competitive against the All Blacks, you’d have to imagine that he won’t last much longer. His record in 2016 has been an embarrassment, and the only positive really has been one dominant win over Argentina in Perth. But if you remember back to that night, Argentina were low on energy after a taxing clash against the All Blacks a week earlier.
No, in this match, as has been already seen this season, the team in black are dead-set favourites. The sports betting firms have them at $1.03. Incredible odds, and it underlines a gulf between the sides playing on Saturday–but the Wallabies will bring a challenge. Converting that into a victory, against this All Blacks side, would take a momentous chance in fortune.
“Main photo credit”
