Skipper Harry Wilson has demanded a strong start from Australia against New Zealand on Saturday as the All Blacks hunt a rare win in Wellington.
The teams clash at Sky Stadium with Australia upbeat after fighting back from a 21-0 deficit in Sydney a week ago to push the Kiwis to the brink in a nail-biting 31-28 defeat.
The result meant New Zealand retained the Bledisloe Cup, and Wilson said the Wallabies must hit the ground running to get revenge and end an eight-game losing streak against their arch-rivals.
“We have to start better. We can’t be giving them a 21-0 lead, especially in New Zealand,” Wilson told reporters on Friday.
“We took a lot of confidence from the second half of our last game and we really want to build on that.”
In Sydney, the All Blacks ran in three converted tries in the opening quarter. “We were quite passive early and we let New Zealand run on top of us, so we have to show some improvement there by winning the physicality in contact,” added Wilson.
Australia drew 16-all with the All Blacks in 2020 when the teams last played in Wellington, and the Wallabies only victory at Sky Stadium was back in 2000.
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“It’s really exciting for us,” Wilson said. “We haven’t won over here in 20 years and we really want to be the team to do that.”
Australia are without star winger Marika Koroibete, who is sidelined by a wrist injury, while scrumhalf Nic White has been axed from the matchday squad.
White started last week, but was overlooked in favour of Jake Gordon with Tate McDermott the preferred replacement.
The hosts are under pressure to snap their Wellington hoodoo, with the Kiwis winless in their last five games in the capital dating back to 2018.
“It’s a record that we are certainly not proud of and we want to turn that around,” All Blacks captain Scott Barrett said. “We have to front up, start well and finish strong.”
Two-time World Player of the Year Beauden Barrett has been switched from fullback to flyhalf at the expense of Damian McKenzie, who drops to the All Blacks bench.
Veteran scrumhalf TJ Perenara replaces Cortez Ratima, while Anton Lienert-Brown starts at inside centre for Jordie Barrett, who is out with a knee injury.
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