All Blacks won't be bullied again
A first loss to Australia in four years was a bitter pill to swallow for New Zealand, but conceding they were edged by their trans-Tasman rivals in the physical stakes has rubbed especially raw.
One of the keys to Australia's surprise 27-19 win in Sydney on Saturday was their unbridled aggression at the breakdown, where back row ball pilferers David Pocock and Michael Hooper proved a menace throughout.
The All Blacks have pledged to right all wrongs during the Bledisloe Cup decider at fortress Eden Park on Saturday – where they have not lost to the Wallabies in nearly 30 years.
"Everybody has taken it personally," lock Brodie Retallick told reporters in New Zealand on Monday.
"It's something we haven't got right and it's been a problem. If you need to react or if you need to clean the ruck, we need the people to do it.
"They were probably a bit more hungry than us and beat us in a lot of those places we would have liked to have won.
"We need to get our roles right around the breakdown and react when we're not in our structure and just playing rugby.
"The closest people need to react and get there quicker than the Aussies did at the weekend, and if we can do that we can obviously play a bit more rugby."
Loose forward Liam Messam also had a straight-forward answer for what the All Blacks need to do to fix their breakdown woes against the Wallabies – be more physical.
"We just need to be a lot more physical," Messam said on Monday.
"The Wallabies were outstanding in the breakdown and we got beaten to the punch, so it's pretty straight up and down that we, as an All Blacks pack, need to be a lot more physical."
Messam said the physicality was mental as well as technical.
"You turn up with the right attitude and that's half the problem sorted."
The All Blacks are a different beast at Eden Park.
However, and with the Bledisloe Cup on the line, the prized annual trophy contested between the nations, few would dare forecast anything less than a big improvement from the home side.
"Our reviews are always honest and straight to the point and we know what we need to do to fix our problems," flank Liam Messam said.
Retaining the Bledisloe Cup was a big motivator for the All Blacks and Messam said he noticed an upbeat mood in the squad as they began preparations for the Eden Park clash.
"It's an exciting challenge and already the excitement – you can see in the boys, the way they turned up to the gym this [Monday] morning," he said.
"They're really excited about starting this week fresh and just getting stuck in."
The 42-cap Messam wasn't in the match-day 23 at ANZ Stadium, instead doing the water duties.
The upcoming Test is the All Blacks' last before the World Cup, which means a final chance for the players to press their claims for selection for the tournament.
Messam, 31, narrowly missed the cut in 2011, when the All Blacks went on to claim the Webb Ellis Cup.
But what happens after this weekend isn't playing on his mind at the moment. It might have four years ago, but he's older and wiser now.
"I've been through that pain, so I know what I need to do in this team and that's making sure I prepare the best I can for a Test match and making sure I prepare my teammates for this Test," he said.
"The selection is out of my control. I can only control my performance and what I can contribute to this team come Saturday and that's all that matters."
Sources: AFP & AAP
