Not many players get the better of Ardie Savea in a mano a mano encounter.
Just ask renowned Springboks enforcer Eben Etzebeth, who initially picked the All Blacks talisman off the Mt Smart Stadium turf on July 15 before Savea regathered and swung the lock away in an impressive show of strength.
The off the ball moment in New Zealand’s 35-20 win went viral this month.
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As did Savea’s actions in a highly charged Super Rugby Pacific clash in Melbourne in March.
The Hurricanes captain earned a ban for making a throat slitting gesture towards Rebels halfback Ryan Louwrens – but only after he’d had a crack at his halves partner Carter Gordon.
“I tried to scrap him for the Canes in Melbourne, and probably ended up second best,” Savea told reporters on Friday.
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“That’s what I like about him. He doesn’t take a step back.
“He’s young and is not scared or afraid of the challenge. It is something for us to keep an eye on. We know he will attack and take on the line and play his game, so that is something hopefully we can nullify.”
Both Savea and Gordon will shoulder heightened responsibilities in Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup opener in front of an expected 80,000-plus crowd at the MCG.
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Savea will captain the All Blacks for the fifth time as he fills in for the injured Sam Cane.
And Gordon, 22, will make his first Test start at No.10 after two impressive cameos off the bench.
”Yeah man, he can,” Savea replied when asked whether the kid could play.
“He showed that during Super Rugby.”
The Wallabies, 0-2 in the Rugby Championship, are rank $7 outsiders for the match against a resurgent New Zealand who have dispatched Argentina and South Africa to kick off 2023.
But the All Blacks are taking no chances, naming a full strength team to take on an experimental Eddie Jones lineup featuring seven starting changes.
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“It’s always crucial for every team to get the ‘W’ consistently and for this All Blacks team that’s what we want to do leading up to the future,” Savea said.
“That’s the goal. This week’s a big challenge. It’s do-or-die and we want to go out and throw some punches.
“The Bled means so much to not only the All Blacks but the whole of New Zealand. A lot’s on the line.
“We know that, we feel that, we harness that, and that allows us to fuel our energy and prep throughout the week.
“I think we’ve just got good consistency in our team. We’ve got great leaders, we learned a lot last year. We took a lot of lessons and we tried to rectify that throughout the season.
“There’s a lot of confidence in our group but also good edge this week to be better.”
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