All Blacks ready to 'belt' Wallabies
Australia should not expect New Zealand to 'go easy' on them in their times of turmoil. In fact the All Blacks are ready to 'belt' the Wallabies.
The two teams to head-to-head in the third and final Bledisloe Cup match in Brisbane on Saturday – with the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup trophies already safely locked up at the New Zealand Rugby Union headquarters.
However, the Kiwis are determined to add further insult to an Aussie team reeling from the fall-out of the Kurtley Beale saga.
All Black coach Steve Hansen, speaking to the media ahead of the team's departure to Brisbane on Monday, made it clear they do not see Saturday's encounter as a game that should be taken easy.
"Anyone who has played sport will know there is no such thing as a dead rubber," Hansen said.
"Your pride doesn't allow that and you are playing for your country."
The All Black mentor also made it clear there is not a lot of love lost between Australia and New Zealand.
"Afterwards things are okay, but during the matches we want to belt them and they want to belt us.
"As we know, there are a few things happening there," he said in reference to the Kurtley Beale saga, adding: "And that will galvanise them."
He also said they are still hurting from their Rugby Championship loss to South Africa recently, which ended a 22-match unbeaten run, and are determined to get back to their winning ways.
"It [the 25-27 loss at Ellis Park] would make them [the players] angry," Hansen said.
"Nobody likes losing, particularly when you win a lot.
"There is an itch there that needs to be scratched. You can use any cliche, but it [losing] is annoying."
The coach also said that flyhalf Aaron Cruden, who was left out of the last two rounds of the Rugby Championship after going on a booze binge, has done his time.
"He travelled to Brisbane with the rest of the All Blacks on Monday and Hansen said he will be considered for selection this week.
"I expect him to get on with it," the All Black mentor said, adding: "It [leaving him out the team] is no different from when you tell your kids off."
The All Black coaches have been happy with Beauden Barrett's performances in the Tests against Argentina in Buenos Aires and South Africa in Johannesburg in Cruden's absence.
He and Colin Slade could be the coaches' preferred choices at flyhalf to take on an imploding Australian team in Brisbane.
All Black assistant coach Ian Foster hinted at the weekend that Cruden had a fight on his hands to win back the No.10 jersey this week and Slade's attitude and adaptability could get him the job of back-up.
"As far as we're concerned he [Cruden] has done his time so we move on, but the thing is in the All Black environment it's one thing to do your time but you also give someone else an opportunity," Foster said on Radio Sport.
"Beaudy has had a couple of starts and we think he's done a pretty good job of it so Aaron is going to have to come in and train well and train hard and just knuckle down and get back into the system.
"And I'm sure that Beaudy will be pretty keen on progressing on the two starts that he's had so it's going to be pretty good competition, and I'd also add the likes of Sladey has been very impressive in our environment," Foster said.
"I've been very impressed with how [Slade has] settled in and handled a lot of different jobs.
"He's got a skill-set that also complements Beaudy and Aaron in terms of off the bench."
