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Cape Town - New Zealand fullback Israel Dagg said his side are 'dying' to keep the Bledisloe Cup ahead of their Rugby Championship clash with Australia in Sydney on Saturday.
The All Blacks have retained the cup for 13 years in a row and Dagg says they know that the Wallabies are desperate to win it back."There's a lot of expectation, you know, New Zealand and Australia, Bledisloe Cup, it doesn't get any bigger," Dagg told Stuff.
"There's that special trophy that Australia are dying for and we are dying to keep so it's going to be so it's going to be tough out there.
"Guys are going to be throwing their bodies around and there's going to be times when we're going to be under pressure, but that's why we play the game because you want to be at the top, you want to be playing the best players out there and doing it with your mates.
"When it gets to the 80th minute and you've played well and you've defended your hearts out, that's when you get the enjoyment of really going to battle with your mates. Then when you do score some tries you can hot dog like Beauden Barrett or Brodie Retallick." Dagg said his re-emergence as a top-flight footballer has come from just enjoying his rugby opposed to putting too much pressure on himself.
"For me, all year has been about having fun and getting out there and just expressing yourself. This is why we play the game; we want to grab the ball, run around and have some fun with your mates."So, yeah, this year I'm just really enjoying it. Playing footy, representing your country and this is where every kid wants to be."
