As New Zealand celebrates a full two decades holding the Bledisloe Cup, Australia needs all the help it can get to reclaim the prized silverware.
And Wallabies icon Tim Horan reckons Eddie Jones and his men have received an unlikely assist from none other than British pop superstar Ed Sheeran.
Saturday’s clash at the MCG will be the fourth Bledisloe Test at the venue, with the Wallabies holding a 2-1 lead in encounters to date.
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A crowd of 80-85,000 is predicted and the bookmakers have all but written off Australia’s chances, with one leading market offering odds of 7-1.
Horan didn’t go as far as tipping an upset but believed the state of the surface could prevent the Kiwis from running rampant in a points-fest.
“I don’t think it’ll (the score) be too high, in the last couple of matches I’ve watched at the ‘G’, with the AFL, they’ve struggled with the pitch,” Horan said on Stan Sport’s Bledisloe preview.
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“So it’s been a bit slippery and (it has been) ever since the Ed Sheeran concerts (in March) where they had to replace the whole ground after.
“So hopefully it’ll be a bit sticky. The players ran there yesterday, it was a bit gluggy underneath. So, Ed Sheeran has done us a favour. Maybe it’ll keep the game a bit closer.”
Horan, the two-time Rugby World Cup winner, believed Wallabies supporters would be content with a competitive performance in Melbourne after crushing losses against South Africa and Argentina burst the bubble of the Jones return.
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“All the fans expected more and hopefully Eddie can deliver something on Saturday night at the MCG. And as long as the Wallabies get close, I reckon we’ll have a good crack at the All Blacks in Dunedin,” Horan said.
“It’ll be tough on Saturday, but I think we’ll be closer than what people think.”
Jones made seven changes to his run-on side including the bold call to start rookie Tom Hooper at openside flanker.
Hooper, known more as a lock or blindside flanker, has made just one Super Rugby start in the No.7 jersey.
“He’s been superb for the Brumbies this year,” Horan said.
“No Pete Samu which is surprising for me but a really strong backrow. I think Eddie Jones is looking for that, to bend the defensive line to give Tate McDermott, who’s playing at nine, a bit more opportunity.”
Gordon thrown into MCG cauldron
Horan had called for Carter Gordon to start in the previous Test against the Pumas and described this as the strongest Wallabies team on paper in 2023.
“Bernard Foley was a good defender but I think he’s (Gordon) going to be a really strong defender at 10 and that’ll help guys like Samu Kerevi and Jordan Petaia.”
Horan is a big Petaia fan but believed he would have his work cut out defending at outside centre after a long layoff with an injured wrist.
The former No.12 believed Petaia was better served on the wing or at fullback at this stage of his career but took heart from Taniela Tupou’s selection on the bench.
“The three biggest players we need fit are Taniela Tupou, Rob Valetini and Samu Kerevi. If we’re going to go deep into the Rugby World Cup and scare the All Blacks in the next couple of weeks, you need those players,” Horan said.
“So hopefully he might get about 20, 30 minutes in that second half. He’s really fit. I was talking to him last week about how hard he worked, physiotherapy in the last nine months, pretty special. So he’ll cherish the gold jersey.”
Horan added that it was crucial that the Wallabies strike the right balance with their decision making after kicking too much in Pretoria and not enough in Sydney.
“If you kick too much ball back to the back three, you’ve got (Beauden) Barrett there, you’ve got Will Jordan on the wing, they’re going to kill you with ball in hand. They have got to control the ball and keep the ball off the All Blacks.
“That 20 minutes for the All Blacks against the Springboks last week was just incredible. That’s the best 20 minutes I’ve seen for the last five years for the All Blacks. They’re starting to build some good combinations coming into the Rugby World Cup and they’re going to be very hard to beat with Aaron Smith at nine.”
SBW wowed by red hot All Blacks
WALLABIES (15-1): Andrew Kellaway, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Jordan Petaia, Samu Kerevi, Marika Koroibete, Carter Gordon, Tate McDermott, Rob Valetini, Tom Hooper, Jed Holloway, Will Skelton, Nick Frost, Allan Alaalatoa (c), Dave Porecki, Angus Bell
Reserves: Jordan Uelese, James Slipper, Taniela Tupou, Richie Arnold, Rob Leota, Nic White, Quade Cooper, Izaia Perese
ALL BLACKS (15-1): Beauden Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Mark Telea, Richie Mo’unga, Aaron Smith, Ardie Savea (c), Dalton Papali’i, Shannon Frizell, Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Tyrel Lomax, Codie Taylor, Ethan de Groot
Reserves: Samisoni Taukei’aho, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Nepo Laulala, Sam Whitelock, Luke Jacobson, Cam Roigard, Anton Lienert-Brown, Caleb Clarke
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)
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