New Zealand closing in on record
The all-conquering New Zealand All Blacks will equal the most number of consecutive wins by a major Test playing nation if they down Australia in Brisbane in the final Bledisloe Cup match of the season on Saturday.
The All Blacks have strung together 16 straight victories against all-comers and are one Test win away from joining the 1969 All Blacks and 1998 South African Springboks with 17 successive victories.
(This website does not believe Lithuania's 18 wins count for anything - given that they repeatedly beat nondescript teams like Switzerland, Andorra, Serbia and Armenia in the European Nations Cup Third Division and never faced opposition of any note).
New Zealand, the reigning World Cup champions and winners of this year's inaugural four-nation Rugby Championship, last lost against the Wallabies (20-25) at this weekend's Brisbane venue 14 months ago.
The All Blacks are overwhelming favourites, having won all their six matches in this year's Rugby Championship against Southern Hemisphere rivals, South Africa, Australia and Argentina and going through last year's home World Cup unbeaten.
They face an Australia side racked by injuries to key players and whose coach Robbie Deans is under pressure to hold on to his job.
The Wallabies have had a fitful season of few highs, a shock home loss to Scotland and heavy defeats to New Zealand and South Africa.
While New Zealand are expected to put the Wallabies to the sword on Saturday -- local bookmakers have the visitors 1/8 odds on to win -- they are mindful it could rev up the Australians to defy expectations.
"We're aware of it and not trying to hide away from it, but we know it doesn't give you any points on the board," All Blacks centre Conrad Smith said of the pending record.
"It can motivate the opposition as much as ourselves."
But there are also internal factors driving on the benchmark All Blacks this weekend.
It will be hooker Keven Mealamu's 100th Test match, while the All Blacks will show their respect to their coach Steve Hansen, whose father, Des, 78, died this week after suffering a stroke.
Confidence is high across the Tasman that the All Blacks can inflict further suffering on the Wallabies, who under Deans have won just three times in 17 encounters with New Zealand since 2008.
"Australian rugby is [in] a horrible mess. This is not a Wallaby side to fear. This is not a Wallaby side that has the firepower out wide or collective clout in the forwards to even get close to the All Blacks," crowed one New Zealand rugby writer this week.
And all this is against an opponent ranked second in the world, further underlining New Zealand's current invincibility in the game.
The Wallabies, already without leading stars Will Genia, David Pocock, Quade Cooper, James O'Connor, Stephen Moore and James Horwill with long-term injuries, will be missing winger Digby Ioane (knee) and backup hooker Saia Faingaa, who broke his hand at training this week.
But utility Adam Ashley-Cooper is back from injury on the wing and power runner Wycliff Palu at number eight following a 16-week layoff from a shoulder injury.
"The All Blacks are very effective around the contact so to have someone like Cliffy (Palu) down the inside channel, where the All Blacks apply a lot of resources, it'll be good to have him providing resistance," Deans said.
Deans admitted Palu would not go close to lasting the 80 minutes and has named a 5-2 forwards-backs reserves bench which includes two back-rowers in Dave Dennis and Liam Gill.
"We're just looking to unleash him (Palu) and see how he goes," Deans said.
"The All Blacks are the bench mark and proved it again through the Rugby Championship.
"They are a step up from where we've been, but the guys have shown a lot of resilience over the last two months, and they're excited about the opportunity ahead of them on the weekend."
AFP