Opinion: All Blacks have point to prove after Sydney reality check

Julian Savea (Photosport)
Julian Savea (Photosport)

This Saturday at Eden Park will tell everyone more about the All Blacks than last weekend.

Fans will be hoping the eight-point loss at Sydney was an off night, an aberration where Pocock and Hooper feasted at the expense of an under-performing All Black pack.

The loosies were slow to get over the ball and the Wallabies profited. Their advantage at the breakdown, their line speed, the aerial and all round brilliance of Israel Folau, the finishing finesse of Adam Ashley-Cooper and the impetus they got off the bench all contributed to a stand out performance from Michael Cheika's men.

But that's the Wallabies at their best, while the All Blacks played about a 7/10 - and still it was only a Nic White try with eight minutes left that sealed the win.

Which brings us to Eden park this Saturday - the Bledisloe cup decider.

Last year the All Blacks and the Wallabies drew 12-all in Sydney and then the All Blacks walloped them 51-20 at Eden park to secure the Bledisloe Cup yet again.

So can we expect a replay this weekend? Have the All Blacks been given a hell of a shock and, knowing that World Cup places are on the line, will come out and silence any doubters?

The answer is probably. The Wallabies will have to be a very special team to replicate what they did in Sydney at a ground which has been a graveyard for them.

Plus there is no surprise element any more. The videos of the weekend will be well and truly combed through over the next few days.

And then there are the stars - Carter, Aaron Smith, the props, the midfield - they were all far from their best last Saturday. Very rarely do they, and indeed the All Blacks, play badly two weeks in a row.

If they win they will call Sydney a wake up call, a reality check, a reminder that they can be beaten if other teams excel and they are off the pace.

If they lose, a wave of optimism will engulf the rest of the rugby playing world.

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