All Blacks put Bledisloe Cup on a pedestal

RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP SPOTLIGHT: The All Blacks rate their Trans-Tasman rivalry above long-term goals such as winning the four-nation SANZAAR championship.

The Rugby Championship gets underway on August 18 – when Australia host New Zealand in Sydney, while South Africa and Argentina go head-to-head in Durban.

The Sydney encounter also doubles up as the opening round of the 2018 Bledisloe Cup contest – a trophy held by the All Blacks since 2003.

It is not surprising that All Black coach Steve Hansen listed New Zealand’s most immediate target as winning the Bledisloe Cup.

“After the World Cup, this is the most important trophy we play for,” Hansen said.

“We lost to Australia the last time we played them, so no doubt they’ll have a lot of self-confidence and are worthy of starting as favourites.”

Hansen said the squad was keen to build on the hard work put in during the successful three-Test Series against the French in June.

“Whilst last year was about growing depth – and we’ll need to continue to do that in some positions – this year is more about growing our game and our player combinations within that.

“By the end of the year, we should have a clearer picture of who and what will be needed for next year’s World Cup campaign.”

While there was always a need to have an eye on the future, Hansen said the team also had to deal with the here and now.

“We’ll face quality opposition throughout the Championship.

Both Australia and South Africa appear to have grown their games and will come at us with real energy and conviction, while the Argentinians have a new coaching group, which will present new challenges.

“All of this means that this year’s Rugby Championship will be a well-contested competition and we’ll need to once again raise the bar across the board when it comes to our preparation, our skill levels and how we handle pressure.

“Being comfortable is not an option.”

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