VIDEO: Snail's pace tactics for All Blacks
BLEDISLOE CUP THREE: New Zealand’s dominance is beginning to wear thin on Australian veteran Will Genia.
The 92-Test veteran has tasted victory just three times in 24 encounters between the Wallabies and All Blacks.
And at age 30 he is beginning to run out of time to add to the Win column.
One of the few remaining opportunities will come in Yokohama on Saturday – the third Bledisloe Cup encounter of the year.
It will require a special effort and blueprint to stop a team that was beaten just once this year – by a very charged-up Springbok team.
The Wallaby scrumhalf, Genia, said they will look to slow the game down to their own pace and not allow the All Blacks to dictate terms
“They like playing at pace and playing an unstructured game,” Genia told a media briefing in Tokyo – in the build-up to Saturday’s game.
He said the Wallabies plan to minimise the opportunities the All Blacks get and slowing the pace of the game down.
“The focus has pretty much been on defence,” Genia said.
“It is a case of not allowing them to play so quickly, whether it’s off quick line-out throws or quick taps.
“[Not] playing at the pace that they want to play at.
“As an example, kicking the ball and we put it out, making sure we chase and don’t give them the opportunity to play the quick line out.
“Also getting set quickly in the line-out so they don’t play at the pace they want, getting the jumper up quickly.
“Just managing the pace and tempo of the game and playing it in a way we want to play.
“The way that the game goes, they’re going to get the momentum, they’re going to play at that tempo, but making sure we have the opportunity to control the game in that sense as well.”
